Falling Star
by fiona1987
Summary: Roseanna Caine, famed US starlet and WW2 USO performer, is doing one last USO performance with her spoiled stepsister in Mourmelon before going home for Christmas. Tricked,she gets on the wrong truck...headed for Bastogne. Stuck with Easy. Please review!
1. Chapter 1

**Falling Star- Chapter 1**

………………………….

_Mourmelon-le-Grande, December 16__th_

Roseanna Caine, 22 years young, sprayed an even layer of hairspray through her tightly-pinned back coffee-coloured curls as she surveyed her face in the mirror. Setting the bottle of lacquer down on the vanity desk, she reached for her ruby red lipstick and applied a slick layer to match her red figure-hugging dress, blotting it on a tissue before pouting into the mirror. Yes, perfect. Clucking her tongue, she surveyed herself. Something was missing. What? Ah yes, she reached into one of the nearby boxes, rummaging through it for her oversized red hair flower. She paused as her eyes caught the poster attached to the nearby wall of the small, makeshift dressing room. A picture of her and her stepsister, Lola Caine, 2 years her senior and a steely, icy expression on her face. Underneath the USO Logo, a large printed piece of text declared: "THE CAINE SISTERS- SETTING THE STAGE ALIGHT FOR US SOLDIERS AFTER 4 YEARS APART". _Sisters, _she thought bitterly to herself. She'd never classed Lola as her sister, and resented the happy family image portrayed in the media. In fact, they were only stepsisters. When Roseanna was 11, having lost her mother at childbirth, her father, a household name famous singer in his own right, William Caine, married (in her opinion) an odious and self-centred widowed socialite, and thus adopting her equally detestable daughter, Lola. The Stepmother, ever-hooked on the sweet taste of fame and celebrity, encouraged the two girls, both of whom had talent for singing, into a singing duet. Luckily, on the back of her father's success, their duo took off and from 1936 to 1940 they dominated the US radiowaves and ragtime magazine covers. But Roseanna had never been happy, not for a single second, caught in the snare of a domineering stepmother and stepsister, and receiving no help from a thoroughly under-the-thumb father. Shaking her head, Roseanna grabbed the hair flower and positioned it carefully behind her left ear. She smiled satisfactorily. It would do.

"No!" A panic-stricken voice rang out from behind her. It was Annie Wilkes, the girls' personal assistant and Roseanna's best friend since childhood. "Not the red, Roseanna!"

"What?" Roseanna wrinkled up her nose, turning in her hair to look at the stressed, petite, redhead. "What _are_ you talking about?"

"You can't wear red, not tonight. Lola is, and she said it's her signature colour," Annie sighed, glancing weary eyes at her. "She told me explicitly that you were not to wear red, you _know_ that."

"But I'm all dressed," Roseanna spat out indignantly. "Besides, it's only a colour. Who cares?"

"Well, evidently Lola does."

She rolled her eyes, sick of everyone allowing Lola to act like a petulant child in spite of her 24 years. "Well Lola can grow up."

Annie sighed, knowing that each of the young starlets were as stubborn as each other and that any attempts to persuade either would be futile. Defeated, she sank into a nearby chair.

"How is the venue?" Roseanna asked, sliding a bracelet tenderly onto her wrist.

"Not very big, as we expected when we drove in," Annie replied. "Small crowd. Plenty of good lookin' fellas, though."

"Why _are_ we playing here anyway?" she asked. "Seems an oddly small venue to bring the whole USO troupe to."

"Well it's full of bored, restless soldiers who've been given nothing to do but training drills for the last few weeks," Annie mused. "Guess they thought it wouldn't go amiss bring some cheer to them, especially in the run up to Christmas."

"Ah Christmas," a smile spread over her face at the thought as she pursed her lips into the mirror. "One more show tonight, and then back to the U.S for Christmas. I can't wait!"

"Tell me about it," Annie sighed, equally as excited at the prospect. "So you're father hasn't managed to convince you to have Christmas at the Caine mansion this year yet?"

"Oh God no," she frowned, making a face. "I'll only be there for Christmas Eve, when _Bizarre_ Magazine is coming to take photos for a feature spread- "Christmas with the Caines". I'll be leaving for Iowa that night though for Christmas day with my Grandma."

"As far away from Lola as possible,"

"Exactly," Roseanna smiled happily. "Christmas in the flyover zone. About as far from flashing lights, reporters and would-be family members as you can get."

They were interrupted by a quiet knocking at the door. A young private, blushing immediately, gingerly put his head around the door. "Five minutes to curtain, Miss Caine."

Smoothing out the crinkled chiffon of her dress, She stood up and began to walk towards the door.

Reaching out, Annie held her arm for a brief, last moment. "Are you sure you won't consider changing your dress?"

Roseanna rolled her eyes. "Absolutely. Why should _I_ change?"

…………………………

Waiting in the wings of the makeshift stage, Roseanna peered around the curtains to look at Lola Caine on stage, mid-song. She had pulled a young, cheeky-faced and elated looking soldier onstage and was presently serenading him with her dulcet, iconic tones that had since made her a star in her own right. Her red dress was exactly identical to Roseanna's, the only difference being the way that it contrasted against her more porcelain white skin and ash blonde curls in comparison to Roseanna's rather more olive skin and brown curls. From her dark corner in the wings, Roseanna let her shoulders sag slightly as she watched her stepsister on stage. She hated to admit it, but she felt inferior to the blonde bombshell. She'd always felt Lola to be the prettier one of the duet and, at times, the more talented singer. Then, when Roseanna had reached 19 years old, found the courage to stand up for herself and leave the group and enrolled at Sarah Lawrence College, Lola took the opportunity to launch herself as a solo star, which she achieved to great effect, plunging herself into stardom on the same level as many of the established starlets and singing sensations of the time. Roseanna watched as Lola plucked the identical red flower from her hair and traced it along the jawline of the ecstatic young private, staring into his eyes whilst singing seductively at him. Whoops and cheers filled the small auditorium. The crowd loved her. The song came to a close and Lola demurely clasped her hands over her chest in appreciation as the applause roared in.

"Well thank you! Thank you all so much," Lola's sickly sweet tones floated through the microphone and over the crowd. Roseanna knew, however, it was all part of the Lola Caine _Act_, and that her real tone was distinctly icier. "It's been such a pleasure singin' for you all tonight. You all serve our great country so bravely and we're all so grateful to each and every one of you. Now…the entertainment for tonight doesn't stop here, fellas. Comin' up next is a very special person to me, someone you all know very well. That's riiiight, it's my former singin' partner and dear, dear baby sister. Now she's been off betterin' herself at college for the last few years so we haven't heard too much from recently, but myself and daddy, William Caine, were able to convince her into joinin' the USO with us so that we could entertain all you brave, brave soldiers. Now she's busted back onto the singin' scene and, let me tell you, she has been setting stages alight at USO performances all over the world! So please, fellas, put your hands together and let out a big cheer for…Roseanna Caine!"

Hearing her cue, Roseanna put a big, enthusiastic smile on her face and began her walk onto stage as cheers filled the room. Instantly, she caught Lola's face. If looks could kill, she would have been in pieces right that second. Lola's angry eyes looked her up and down, taking in the identical dress and lipstick, before boring daggers into her eyes. Only for a brief second though as, being the star she was, Lola knew persona was everything and she plastered the grin back on her face and turning back to face the crowd. Roseanna, laughing on the inside, strode up beside her stepsister and stood next to her, waving to the crowd and placing on hand on her hips.

"Well hello there," she said into the microphone. Cheers flared up again.

"Well they just love you, don't they Roseanna," Lola purred into the mic.

"Well gee I don't know, Lola, I think they're still just excited from hearin' you play," Roseanna winked, used to the necessary pre-singing "banter".

"Hush now, that's not true," Lola cried over the cheers. "Well would you listen to the racket of that crowd, they are really havin' a good time. You know what I think, Roseanna?"

"What's that, Lola?"

"I think they'd like to hear us do a duet later, whaddya think?" cheers rang out deafeningly around the room.

"Well it sure sounds that they'd like that," Roseanna, put both hands on her hips as she leaned into the mic. "Would y'all like that?"

The cries said it all.

"I think that answers that one, don't you?" Lola giggled. "Righty folks, I'm gonna leave you now in that capable hands of my dear sister, but I might be back later for that duet, you never know!"

The girls shared an unenthusiastic hug, before Lola sloped offstage, leaving Roseanna alone with her audience. Sitting down on the stool in the middle of the stage, she lower the microphone down to her height and waited for silence to fall over the room. When the noise ceased, she leaned into the microphone and gingerly said. "I'd like to start with a song…"

…………………………

As Roseanna finished her last song, the crowd burst into rapturous applause, much to her delight. She still got such a kick out of applause.

"Thank you, thank you!" She said into the microphone, addressing the men who looked at her expectantly. "Well, that's about it from me tonight. On behalf of the entire USO troupe, we'd just like to thank you again for your dedicated service and we hope you've enjoyed the performance tonight. The USO is all about treatin' you fellas well so for those of you who feel too exhilarated by tonight's performance to be able to sleep, a film will be provided for you immediately after the show. Tonight we're showing _Seven Sinners_ with John Wayne and the _beautiful_ Marlene Dietrich. So I hope you'll all enjoy that. But now, as you've waited so patiently all evening, I'd like to invite someone back onstage to sing duet with me and to sing you fellas out. So please, put your hands together as we welcome back onstage…LOLA CAINE!"

………………………

Fifteen minutes later, after their final duet and two encores, both girls shimmied off the stage. The plastered-on grins left each of their faces the minute the set foot backstage. Immediately, Roseanna felt Lola's hand on her back, her nails clawing into her back as she felt herself being roughly ushered through a set of double swing door and into the back corridor.

"What are you doing," Roseanna erupted, turning around the face the red-faced and seething Lola. "Get your damn hands off of me!"

"Ladies…," Annie pleaded, appearing uneasily behind them. "Let's just calm down."

"How dare you!" Lola spat out, her height giving her a temporary advantage over her younger stepsister. "I told you _not_ to wear the red dress tonight!"

"And who let you decide?!" She retorted. "It's only a dress, Lola! Jesus, it was the first one I saw and I put it on, I didn't remember you'd booked it. Do you think any of those soldiers actually gave a damn?!"

Embroiled so deeply in the moment, no one saw a uniformed man enter, look alarmed at the scene and gingerly ask if everything was alright.

Lola's face reddened with anger and both Annie and Roseanna winced slightly, knowing what was coming- both had often been on the receiving end of one of Lola Caine's infamous physical bouts of rage. In one move Lola lurched forward, roughly pushing her stepsister, screaming as she did. Roseanna tried to steady herself, but the force sent her back, her high heels losing balance as she fell backwards, hitting the ground with a hard crash . As if on cue, the uniformed soldier rushed to her side, squatting down to her level.

"This is my show, Roseanna! Don't forget, you're only here because Dad made me take you with me!" Lola stamped her heel, fuming as she turned on her heel and placing a rough hand on Annie's shoulder. "Come on, Annie!"

Annie stared at her best friend for a brief moment as if she wanted to protest but then looked down, shaking her head as she let Lola drag her down the corridor to her dressing room.

"He's not even your dad!" Roseanna couldn't stop herself from shouting after her down the corridor, as though the anger had been infectious. Breathing deeply, she suddenly became aware of the hands on either side of her shoulder and looked up for the first time the uniformed soldier, tall and kind looking, with red hair.

"Are you alright, Miss?" He asked, using his gentle grip on her shoulders to manoeuvre her back onto her feet.

"Thank you," she said, looking down and blushing slightly, embarrassed that he'd seen that scene.

"You're welcome," he said, offering her a little smile as though sensing the tension. "Sisterly spat?"

"She is _not_ my sister," Roseanna replied automatically and indignantly. "But _yes_, something like that."

"_Stepsister_, sorry," he corrected himself. "My mistake."

She shook her head dismissively, smiling at him. She wanted to change the subject, _now_. "Did you enjoy the show?"

"I didn't get to see it all," he said, nodding. "But yes, I enjoyed what I did see. I like your music very much, and I'm a big fan of your father's."

"He'd be so pleased to hear that," she smiled.

They stared at each other for a few seconds, a slightly awkward tension settling over the corridor.

"Well, I should get back to the mess hall, if you're alright, that is," he piped up.

"Oh, I'm fine. Nothing I can't handle," she said, beaming at him. "Thank you again for helping me."

"It was my pleasure, Miss," he said, tipping his head gently at her. "You have a good night."

"And you," she called back over her shoulder, making her way to her dressing room.

……………..

In the comfort of her makeshift dressing room, she changed from her dress into a comfortable pair of slacks and a sweater. She sighed, preferring comfortable fabric of her sweater to the tight dress. She heard a gentle knock at the door.

"Come in," she called out, folding her dress into her travel bag.

Annie shuffled quietly into the room, looking deflated.

"Are you alright?" Roseanna asked quietly, almost guiltily. She knew Lola would have taken out her anger and then some on their poor personal assistant.

"Not really, no," Annie said, leaning against the wall. She was silent for a moment. "Why didn't you just change your dress?"

She paused for a moment. "Well…why should I have?"

"Because _I_ asked you to," Annie uttered simply, her face heavy and despairing. "You know, it's not just you she takes it out on, you know. I had to bear the brunt of that, you know. Didn't you think about that?"

"Look, I'm sorry," she said genuinely. "But everyone tiptoes around and bends over backwards for that girl. It's just not right…."

"I know, but that's just the way it is," Annie shrugged her shoulders, opening the door. She turned back to Roseanna before slipping back out. "You think you'd be used to it by now."

Alone again, Roseanna looked down, her shoulders heavy. Annie was right, it would always be this way, and nobody would never know what an axe wound she really was except those on the inner circle. She hated that, hated that so many people were being duped by this angelic-looking girl. Getting to her feet, she decided she needed to walk. Where? Just anywhere, really. She found herself back in the mess hall, where most of the soldiers were still congregated, engrossed in the film. Trying to be inconspicuous, she grabbed a nearby army jacket off of the back of a soldier's chair at the very back of the hall and slung it around her shoulders. She'd return it before he noticed. Eager not to be spotted, she hid in the shadows in the very back corner and began to watch the film. She loved this one, despite watching it around 40 times at various USO shows on her travels. Marlene Dietrich was her idol. So beautiful and seductive, a really powerful woman. She'd heard by word of mouth that she'd recently been in Reims performing, but Roseanna herself had been booked for a USO show in Paris, so hadn't been able to go and see her. Pity. As she watched Marlene interact with John Wayne on the screen, she became so engrossed that she barely became aware of lights suddenly flooding the room and the rush of feet. She suddenly snapped to attention, watching the soldier addressing the room.

"Elements of the 1st and 6th SS Panzer Division have broken through in the Ardennes Forest. Now they've overrun the 28th Infantry and elements of the 4th. All Officers report to respective HQs. All weekend passes are cancelled," he rang out to the room, amid groans and protests. She wasn't well-versed in military speak, but she gathered that it meant they were on the move.

Quickly, before the men began to rouse themselves from their chairs, she slipped out of the room, before anyone could see her.

"Hey, where's my jacket?!"

……………………………….

When Lola got back to her dressing room, she'd been met by a very stressed Annie who'd already been made aware of the situation. _Get your things together quickly_, she'd warned,_ we're outta here in 30 minutes. _

So Roseanna had quickly packed all her belongings, well as quickly as one can pack countless dresses, make-up and hair products _and_ manoeuvre a clothing rail outside. But she'd managed it, and stood outside amidst all of the chaos of the army preparing itself to move on. Everywhere she looked, bodies were moving around, hurrying onto their next task or to wherever they needed to be. Everything was in such disarray, she began to get worried. Suddenly, she spotted Annie and ran over. "Which truck are we in, Annie?"

"Ummm, I don't know yet, one of those ones," she pointed into the distance.

All of the trucks looked the same.

"I'll be right back, wait here for Lola. I told her to meet us right here," Annie said, rushing off, clutching a clipboard tightly to her chest.

She stood by herself, shivering against the cold as she grasped tightly onto her holdall, watching the men whizz by her.

"Hey that's my…," A voice came from behind her. She whizzed around, face to face with the soldier that Lola had invited onstage for a serenade.

"That's my jacket," he said, looking sheepishly at her. "Sorry, Miss Caine. I didn't realise it was you."

"That's alright," She said, noticing she _was_ still wearing the jacket. She took it off and held it out to him. "Sorry, I only borrowed it because I came in to watch the film and I wanted to…blend in a little."

"Not a problem, Ma'am," he grinned sheepishly. "I wish I could let you keep it on this cold night…"

"No please," she smiled, waving her hand dismissively at him. "I think you'll be needing it much more than me."

"You're right about that," he returned the smile. "Can I just say. I am such a huge fan…"

"Oh, thanks," She blushed.

"…of your sister," he said, realising the confusion and reddening. "Such a huge fan of your sister. Sorry…you're great too though, of course. I loved all the songs you did as a duet."

"Oh," she looked down. "Well, I'll let her know."

His face lit up. "You will? Hey, that's great. Tell her George Luz says hi."

"I will," she nodded politely.

"That's George _Luz_," he repeated.

"Yes, alright," she nodded again.

"_L-U-Z_, "he repeated slowly.

"Okay…," she looked at him tersely. "I think I got it."

"Ok," he said, looking at the soldiers rushing by. "Well I should really get going. Thanks for the jacket back."

"Nice to meet you, George Luz," she offered him a final polite smile, watching him run off to his platoon.

"There you are," Lola appeared from behind her, trussed up against the cold, December air in a long fur coat, with a scarf swept around and over her neck. "What are you doing just standing here?"

Roseanna looked at her sister with tedium. "I don't know which truck we're in yet. They all look the damn same as the one we came in on. I'm waiting on Annie letting me know."

"Well she just told me," We're taking off from that one there," Lola pointed to the distance. "It's already been loaded up with troupe boxes."

"Well, come on then," Roseanna rolled her eyes at her stepsister's tone, picking up her holdall and slinging it around her shoulder as best as she could.

"I still have a few more things to pack, since Annie doesn't seem to be doing it for me," Lola tutted, tapping her heeled shoes impatiently off the ground. She took off her scarf and handed it to her."Why don't you go and get us some good seats, put my scarf on mine. I don't want to end up sitting next to those new USO guys with the accordions. They played those damn things all the way from Paris to here, and I don't want to listen to that again."

"Will you pick up winter coat from my dressing room?" She asked, watching her stepsister turn on her heel. "I forgot it and it's freezing!"

"Fine," Lola sighed, walking away and muttering under her breath. "_As if I don't have enough to do_."

Roseanna struggled with her holdall over to the truck and pulled herself up onto it. It was filled with boxes, so much so she wondered how they'd all fit in it. She was used to that though, the troupes travelled with everything they needed for their show and also all necessary provision so she was well used to travelling in cramped conditions. Unlike Lola, however, she never bitched about it. Finding a little quiet spot behind some boxes, she nestled herself into the seat and placed Lola's scarf on the space beside her. She sighed, waiting for everyone else to join her, enjoying that the boxes created a barrier from the wind. As she waited, the exhaustion from the show and the friction with Lola began to catch up with her. She yawned…and then next thing she was asleep.

…………………………..

Absent-mindedly, Roseanna opened one eye groggily. She could feel that the van was in motion. _Finally_, she thought to herself. She couldn't move, so sleepy she was. Closing her eyes again, she allowed the rocking of the moving van lull her back to sleep.

…………………………..

"Excuse me."

She felt someone poking her in the arm.

"Excuse me."

"Go away," she moaned, not opening her eyes.

"Who are…shit!" the person let out a scream. "Roseanna Caine?!"

Hearing her name, her eyes flew open and immediately she sprang to life. She sat up quickly, looking around her and at the soldier staring at her, half in confusion and half in alarm.

"Who are you?" she stared at him in confusion. Suddenly, her eyes darting around, she realised there was no one else from the troupe in her truck. "Hang on…where the _hell_ am I?"

"Uhh…you're in Belgium, ma'am," he stared at her, cock-eyed. He held up one finger at her. "Excuse me for just one moment."

Bewildered, she watched him walk off. _Shit, shit, shit_. She crawled to the edge of the truck and peered out the side of the canopy. Soldiers, everywhere. Trucks, everywhere. Belgium?! What the hell was going on. Where was Annie? _Where was Lola?!_ A sense of fear growing in her stomach, she crawled back behind the temporary safety of the stacked boxes.

"Excuse me," a familiar voice sounded out.

"She's in there, Captain Winters. I told her I'd be right back."

"Miss Caine?" the familiar voice sounded out again, sounding slightly stressed. "Are you in there?"

Clearing her throat, Roseanna composed herself, emerging from behind the boxes and coming face-to-face with the soldier who'd picked her up after Lola had upended her. "It's you."

A slightly panicked look befell Captain Winters' face. "Miss Caine, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she nodded. "Slightly confused, and embarrassed but…"

"How did you get here, Ma'am?"

"Well…," she bit her lip. "It appears that I've somehow gotten onto the wrong truck. Simple enough, I suppose. Now if we could just somehow right this little wrong."

His face was worryingly sceptical. "That's the thing you see…."

"The thing?" She repeated, worriedly.

"I…," he held up a finger at her, much in the vein of the first soldier. "I'll be _right_ back."

"For the love of God," she whispered to herself.

Several moments passed, and then another face appeared at the foot of the truck, grinning inquisitively at her.

"Who are you?" she asked bluntly, alarmed, shimmying over to the end of the truck to get a better look at him. He was handsome, short with jet black hair and the signs of incoming stubble.

"Captain Nixon," he replied, grinning at her amusedly. "Captain Lewis Nixon. I had to see this with my own eyes before I could believe it. Keen to join the fight or somethin'?"

She paused for a moment, taken aback slightly by his bluntness. "No, just got on the wrong truck is all." _Smart, Roseanna, smart._

_  
_"Here," he held out a hand to her. "Let me give you a hand down."

She accepted, and in seconds he'd hoisted her down onto her feet, finally free of the confines of the truck.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS, DICK?" an approaching voice thundered from nearby. Roseanna winced slightly at the tone.

The redheaded soldier from earlier returned accompanied by an older gentleman, an altogether more irate looking gentleman. Roseanna tried to remain composed and appear confident, even though he scared her slightly.

"Well Sir," the redhead explained tentatively. "It appears she mounted the wrong truck, a cargo truck."

"And nobody noticed?" The older man fired, angrily.

"Apparently not, Colonel," Nixon cut in.

"Unbelievable," The older man looked at her. "Unbelievable. Young lady do you realise what a situation this has put us in?!"

She felt herself getting a little angry at the question and, before she could stop herself, shot out. "Excuse me! Don't you know who I am." She instantly chastised herself and regretted this, wrinkling her nose in disgust. It made her sound like Lola.

The older man just stared back at her. "…No. Who _is_ she, Captain Winters?"

The redhead coughed slightly, before piping up. "This is Roseanna Caine sir. She's a singer with the USO and…well…a singer in her own right in the US."

His expression didn't change. "Still don't know her."

"Her father is the single William Caine," Nix added, smirking.

His expression finally softened. "Oh…I like his music."

"Oh really?" She smiled, keen to get this man on her side as, frankly, he seemed too scary a man to be on the wrong side of.

"_Smoky Summer Blues_…I liked that one," he said, seemingly forgetting the situation for a moment.

She smiled. "That's his favourite too. You know he wrote that about my mother."

"No kiddin'," He raised his eyebrows, interested.

Dick coughed again. "If I could just direct us back to the matter at hand, Colonel Sink."

_Colonel_, Roseanna remarked to herself.

"Right," Sink snapped back to reality. "Well, Miss Caine, there appears to be a bit of a problem."

"What's the problem, Colonel?" She bit her lip.

"Well to put it bluntly…getting you out of here," he said, matter-of-factly.

"Surely you can just set me back the way I came on an outgoing truck," she said, sweetly yet panicked.

"Unfortunately for you, Miss Caine…we're entering into a major offensive that I won't bore you with the details of. But suffice it to say that, as of now, any trucks leaving here in either direction are going to places _you_ don't want to be going," he informed her.

She paled. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that we'll get you out of here ASAP…but for the moment…I'm afraid you're stuck with us, Miss Caine."

The words spun around her head, making her feel increasingly dizzy. Excusing herself, she dazedly wandered across the crowd of soldier preparing themselves for the offensive, and noticing her at the same time. Amid the hushed whisperings of _Isn't that Roseanna Caine_, she could hear phrases that were filling her with dread such as _the krauts, they slaughtered us_ and _you gotta get outta here_ and _what the hell are we s'posed to do with no ammo_. Feeling on the verge of fainting, she sat on a nearby crate and put her head in her hands. She shouldn't be here, she shouldn't be here. She felt somebody kneel down in front of her and uncovered her face to reveal Dick Winters, holding a coat in his arms.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his face full of concern as he looked at her.

She didn't reply.

"I thought you could use a coat," he said, standing up and draping it round her shoulders. "It's cold out. I have to get back, I've got things to prepare…but I'll have someone check on you and keep you informed of when we're moving out."

He left as quickly as he'd come, and she was alone again…. Alone. And Scared.


	2. Chapter 2 Not Coming Out

**Falling Star- Chapter 2**

Hi! Hope you're all liking the new story. I just want to correct a mistake from the last chapter. Towards the end when Roseanna is talking to Sink about her father, Nix is supposed to say "singer Father" and not "single Father", cos he is, after all, married to the evil stepmother :P. Anyway enjoy. Please review, I live for reviews! Good or bad ones! All suggestions appreciated.

…………………………….

That night, Roseanna had made her way into the Ardennes along with the other soldiers, paling with every gunshot that she heard. For as much as she'd spent time travelling around warzones with the USO, this was the first time she'd ever even come close to being in close proximity of battle. And she didn't like it. After a few hours waiting in the freezing forest as the men dug what looked like huge holes in the ground (bizarre!), Sink instructed Captain Winters to take her with him into the nearby town of Bastogne where they'd be setting up HQ. He was instructed to find her a room somewhere close to HQ where she could pass her time. He did as he was instructed, finding her a room 2 floors up in the building they'd selected for HQ, figuring it was high enough that she wouldn't be privy to private, official conversations and that she'd…laughingly…get a good view of the town. Not that there was much of a view anymore. It was small, but it had everything she'd need to be comfortable, and certainly more than any of his suffering men were going to have: a bed with fresh sheets, a desk, a chair and just a short walk to a working toilet.

"You can sleep here," he said, opening the door to let her inside.

Nervously, she looked around, her heart beating like a train. "O…Okay."

"Any serious problems, Battalion staff are just downstairs," he explained, dragging her bag over to the desk and setting it down.

"Thanks, Captain Winters," She said, her legs turning to jelly, forcing her to sit down on the bed. She began shaking uncontrollably.

Scratching his head, he had to stop himself from swearing. This wasn't a good situation for anyone her being there, not for her or the battalion. She looked so scared. Slowly he walked over to the bed and set next to her, keeping a respectable distance of course. "Are you alright?"

"N-n-not really…," she said. "A little scared, if I'm honest."

"It's normal," he reassured her. "Don't worry, we'll get you out of here as soon as possible. You might not be here long."

She flinched at the sound of planes flying overhead. "Hopefully not."

"Well, I have to go…," he said, standing up and smoothing out his jacket.

She looked at him, her eyes filling with panic. She reached out and desperately put her hand on his sleeve, tugging at it slightly. "You're leaving? Why?"

"Uh…I have to go be a soldier," he said, trying to ease a smile out of her. No such luck.

"Oh," she looked down. "Of course."

"Don't worry," he reassured her, his fingers gently grazing hers as he released his sleeve from her grasp. "I'll have Doc Roe come check on you, make sure you're doing okay."

"Will _you _come back?" She asked tentatively.

His cheeks reddened slightly as he searched for an answer. "Me?"

"It's just," she continued. "You're the most familiar face I recognise out here."

"I'll come back when I can," he assured her. "Just try to relax, wait it out."

"Thanks, Captain."

…………………………

**19****th**** December, 1944**

Eugene Roe made his way up the stairs of Battalion HQ, carrying a tin of Joe's refried beans. He moved his head to the side, trying to keep downwind of the smell. Nodding respectfully at various members of staff he passed on the way, he came to a halt outside Roseanna's door. He'd tried to introduce himself to her last night, and check if she was alright. She'd refused to let him in, just called out that she was fine from the other side of the door. He hated to admit it, but he almost resented having to take time off of the line to attend a young, clueless starlet who'd waltzed onto the wrong truck…especially with the conditions the men were facing out there on the line in Bastogne. But, nonetheless, he'd promised Captain Winters. Tentatively, he knocked on the doorframe. He could hear nothing from inside, nothing whatsoever.

"Ma'am," he called out. "Miss Caine?"

Silence.

"Everything okay in there," he called out again.

"Who's that?" the alarmed response came from the other side.

"It's Eugene Roe, ma'am," he introduced himself for the second time to her. "I came to check on you last night, rememba?"

"Oh…," she replied, mousily. "I remember. What…what do you want?"

"I brought you some dinner," he said. "Figured you hadn't eaten anything yet…need to keep your strength up."

"Oh…thank you," she called out. "That's…kind of you."

Silence spread between the door posts once more. He rolled his eyes. "So…you gonna open up to let me in, or…?"

"If you could just leave it on the other side of the door…that will be fine," she called out cautiously.

He didn't really have time for this. Quickly he set the tin cup outside the door. "As you ask, ma'am. Have a good evening."

Turning on his heel, he began his descent down the stairs with a view to getting a truck to take him back to the line. Moments later, he bumped into Captain Winters who was making his way up the stairs. The two stopped as they passed each other. Gene raise his hand over his forehead in salute to his superior. Winters replied.

"How is she doing?" Dick asked, looking up towards the direction of the closed door.

"Still no contact I'm afraid, sir," Gene replied, shrugging his shoulders. "She wouldn't let me inside, just told me to leave the food outside."

"That so?" Winters asked, his eyes filling with concern, muttering under his breath. "She can't get used to it here."

"It's far-removed from her world, I suppose, Sir. It seems to me that she's retreating within herself." Gene mused. "Sir, how are things on the line?"

"Stable for the moment, I just came over to drop off some paperwork…thought I'd check on her since I was here."

That struck Gene as slightly odd, Winters had orderlies to do that sort of thing. Nonetheless, he'd never question the Captain. "Good idea, Sir. Hopefully she'll listen to you."

Dick nodded at him, setting a foot on the next step. "You should get back on the line, Gene, check on the boys."

"On my way, Sir," He said, offering Winters a final salute. "I'll check on her again when I can."

With Eugene on his way, Dick continued his ascent up the stairs. Stopping outside her door, he looked down at the tin of beans, growing colder by the second. _Knock, knock._

Nothing.

_Knock, Knock._

"Miss Caine?" he called, knocking the door again.

"…Captain Winters?" her almost-relieved voice sounded out clear like a bell from the other side.

"Yes, it's me," he called, holding his face closer to the door. "How are you today?"

She didn't respond, but moments later he heard the lock fumbling, and then her pale, tired face appeared from the other side. "Come in."

As he followed her inside, he noticed she was wearing several layers of clothing, and that she'd covered over her window with a long pashmina-style scarf. He cocked an eyebrow. "How are you?"

"I've been better," she said, sitting down on the edge of her bed. "Any news on getting me out of here yet?"

Not wanting to voice his initial response, which was that the army had more important things to worry about in the face of the major German offensive that had been launched against them, instead he opted for: "No, not as yet, I'm afraid."

She looked down, crestfallen. "Oh."

"Have you been sleeping alright?" He asked, shuffling closer to the desk.

"Not really," she said quietly. "There's screaming."

"Screaming?" he asked.

"I can hear people screaming, moaning…," she put her head in her hands. "Every second of every day. I don't know where it's coming from…or if I'm just imagining it."

"There's a military hospital nearby, in an abandoned church," he said comfortingly. "That's probably what you can hear. Just try and block it out. Easier said than done, I know, but…"

Suddenly the sound of bombs exploding pierced the air and made the ground shake. She let out a high shriek, and within seconds she'd thrown herself forward in a panic, straight into Dick's arms, burying her head in his shoulder. He was taken aback slightly by her sudden movement, his cheeks flooding red as he toyed with the idea of giving her a comforting hug, but deciding against it…inappropriate.

"Miss Caine, they're not bombing the town," he said as tactfully as possible as she clung to him. "They're bombing the forests. You're safe for the moment."

"Oh," she said, breathing a slight sigh of relief. "Thank God, I thought I was a goner!"

"They just sound loud," he explained.

She suddenly became aware that she'd thrown her arms around the Captain and felt the red flush of embarrassment creep up onto her cheeks. Quickly, she released her arms from his waist and sat back down on the edge of the bed. "Sorry about that."

"Uh…that's not…not a problem," he said, seeming very nervous and sitting down on the desk chair, just to have something to do.

She stifled a laugh, the first time she'd laughed in a long time, actually. "You must think I'm such a pathetic, scaredy cat."

"No, that's not what I was thinking," he said, smiling playfully as he looked at the ground.

"No? Then what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking…," he said, feeling strangely confident and looking up at her, hoping to take her mind off of things. "…that I can't believe I was just hugged by Roseanna Caine."

She stifled another giggle, her eyes lighting up in amusement. "Is that so?"

"Closer than I got to you in Paris, actually," he paused for a moment before revealing.

"Paris?" she cocked her head to the side, confused.

"Oh…," he said, realising he'd have to tell the whole story now. "I was actually in leave in Paris just before you're show in Mourmelon. You and your USO troupe were in Paris at the same time, and I managed to catch your show…from the very back of the auditorium, granted."

"Gee, really?" she asked, her eyes alive with intrigue. She loved hearing about people coming to the shows. "So you were a fan of the show?"

"I liked the show," he nodded. "But I've always been a Caine family fan."

"Always, huh?" she pressed.

"Ever since I was young, my parents listened to your father's songs on the radio, then when you and your sister formed the duet…we listened to those too when I was in my late teens," he told her, shyly.

"I bet you liked Lola, right?" she asked, assuming it would be true.

He couldn't believe he was in a town stuck in the middle of a warzone and yet here he was, discussing music with Roseanna Caine. Oh well, he still had a while before he had to get back to the line. He wrinkled his nose. "Not really. I always got the impression that she was a little…highly-strung. I guess from what I saw in the corridor in Mourmelon the other day…I was right."

She beamed at him, getting a huge kick from the fact that he'd been a good enough judge of character to be able to see what most of the public seemed oblivious to. Still, a thought came into her head. "It might have been better if it had been her here though and not me. She was always the braver one…she'd find a way to get through _this_. I'm not the bravest girl in the world, as you can probably tell."

He stroked the stubble forming on his chin, thoughtfully. "I'm not sure about that. I always thought it was brave of you to quit the duet when it was at the top of it's game to go off to Sarah Lawrence College."

"How do you know it was Sarah Lawrence I went to?" She asked, intrigued.

"Uh…," he stuttered, embarrassed to have revealed so much. "I think I read it in a newspaper or something at the time."

"Oh…," she said, looking at him suddenly with a little twinkle in her eye.

"Anyway," he stood up, feeling the need for a quick exit. "I should get back onto the line. Have a good night."

She walked him over to the door. He picked up the tin of beans and thrust it in her direction. "You should try and eat, Miss Caine."

"Please, call me Roseanna," she smiled at him, before looking down into the tin. "…what the hell's that? That's not food."

He smiled. "Doesn't look like it, does it? It's the best we have, though. For the moment, anyway."

"I'll imagine it's filet mignon," she said, taking it from him as he held it out to her. "Will you be back in Bastogne again soon?"

"I really couldn't tell you, it's all very uncertain at the moment," he admitted truthfully, doing up the buttons on his jacket. "But, tell you what, if I can't make it out, I'll send you something to cheer you up."

………………………………

**20****th**** December, 1944**

The next day Roseanna sat on her bed, glumly trying it through a chapter of _The Great Gatsby_. It was her favourite book and she always carried a copy with her as it always cheered her up…usually, anyway. Not today. She was feeling down despite yesterday's visit from Dick. On her way back from the washroom that morning, she'd heard some orderlies whispering about what an inconvenience her presence there was. She was beginning to feel guilty for being there, even though it hadn't been her fault. Even more, she had finally had to admit to herself that morning that she didn't have a snowball's chance in hell of making it back to the States in time for her traditional, peaceful Iowan Christmas. Not really reading the words, she absent-mindedly turned a page when the sound of a knocking at the door interrupted her thoughts. Putting the book aside, she tiptoed over to the door, hoping it might be Dick.

"Who is it?"

"It's Sergeant Luz, ma'am. George Luz," came the reply.

She frowned, the name was familiar.

"Captain Winters sent me," he added from the other side of the door.

With this new information, she quickly opened the door. She instantly recognised his face, the soldier from Mourmelon who'd been besotted with Lola. "Sergeant? Captain Winters sent you?"

"Indeed he did," he nodded, walking past her into the room. "Kind of an exchange deal. I got an hour off the line to come and get a hot meal if I agreed to come and, in his own words, _cheer you up_."

"Cheer me up," she folded her arms, looking at him. "Are you a clown or something?"

"You're not far off," he made a "dusting off his shoulder" motion. "You could say I'm well-known as being the funnyman of Easy Company."

She didn't reply, just looked at him amusedly.

He looked around the room, dark from the shawl that she'd placed over the window. He grimaced. "What's with the darkness in here…it's a little creepy."

"I don't really want to look out of the window, if I'm honest," she said, looking at the ground.

He shrugged his shoulder, making a noise of agreement. "I don't blame ya. Not much to see out there and what there _is_ to see aint pretty."

"Not really," she said, folding her arms awkwardly and sitting on the edge of her bed.

"So…," he said, spying her large rucksack lying to the side of her desk. He pointed at it. "Got anything of Lola Caine's in there?"

"No," she said, instantly.

"Meh, too bad," he said, sitting down on the desk chair, gripping the sides and looking excitedly at her. "So what's it like being her sister?"

"She's _not_ my sister," she corrected him automatically.

"Well, stepsister I know, but you're basically sisters, really…," he began.

"No," she cut him off, sending him a stern look. "We're _not_."

He held his hands up defencelessly. "Okay, I get it, I get it. So…does she have a boyfriend?"

Roseanna scratched her head. "Sergeant Luz…sorry, but if you're idea of cheering me up is firing questions about my bitch of a stepsister at me, then…"

His face lit up with excitement. "No love lost between you two, I see. What's the story there?"

"No story," she said, realising she shouldn't really be discussing it with everyone and anyone the way she'd been doing the past few days. "We just don't get on that well."

"Oh," he said, sensing he shouldn't push it. He reached into his back pocket, pulling out a deck of cards. "Wanna play?"

………………

40 minutes later she was in tears of laughter as they played Gin Rummy (the only game she actually knew how to play). Luz was telling her stories about all of the men of Easy, knowing the best ones to cheer her up.

"So he thinks he's being really smart by collecting condoms everywhere he can get a hold of them, right?" Luz said, arranging his cards. "So time goes on at Taccoa and we're traning, training, training…so eventually his collection grows to about 200 or so- even though he aint even getting' any, I have to add. Little does he know, Sobel comes across this when he's doing a barrack inspection…tosses the lot in the trash. So then, on one of the few weekends we actually get to use our weekend passes, he meets this local girl on the town. This poor sex-deprived guy, the minute he actually gets close to gettin' some…comes back to get a condom…to find they're all gone. All 200!"

Roseanna couldn't breath between fits of laughter, tears running down her cheeks. She set her cards down, reaching for a tissue and dabbing at her eyes. "I'd really like to meet these guys. They sound like a hoot!"

"They are," he said, smiling fondly. "Pains in the asses a lot of the time, but they're good fellas."

Once she'd composed herself and picked up her cards again, she changed the subject slightly. "What about Captain Winters? I can't seem to figure him out."

"Winters?" Luz repeated. "Good luck figurin' him out, I tell ya."

"He's the nicest man ever," she stressed. "He's been nothing but helpful since I got here but, it seems when you're on the verge of a deep conversation with him he closes himself off."

"He's dedicated," Luz explained. "Winters doesn't take time for himself, the company is where his focus always lies."

"Oh," she said. "Must be tiring for him, especially being in this place."

"For him?" George said, incredulously. "Not just for him. It's fuckin' tiring for all of us!"

She rubbed her chin. She'd never thought about what the soldiers were going through here, she'd been selfishly caught up in how _she_ was coping in Bastogne. All of a sudden she felt utterly ashamed. At least _she_ had a roof over her head. "What are the conditions like out there in the woods."

George shivered at the thought. "Where do I start? Snow everywhere, it's so cold it feels like your body is constantly frozen over. There's hardly any food, we're sleeping in foxholes in the ground and the damn krauts won't stop shelling and shooting at us."

"Goodness," she whispered, it sounded absolutely horrific.

George looked at his wristwatch and groaned. "I have to get back to the line, fun as this has been."

"Okay," she nodded, gathering up the cards and handing the deck back to him. "Thank you for the visit, it really did cheer me up."

"Nothin' to thank me for," he said, putting the cards in his back pocket. "If anything I'm thankful for the chance to get off the damn line for an hour. Have a good day, Roseanna."

As he began to leave she suddenly had a thought and called him back. She walked up to the window, pausing for a moment before determinedly pulling the shawl from the window, light flooding into the room again. Rather fittingly she thought, as it seemed talking to George in the last few minutes had prompted her to face up to the reality of where she was and what the situation was here. Folding the shawl up, she handed it to him.

"What's this for?" he asked, running his hand over the soft silk.

"I don't need it anymore," she said, smiling at him. "Besides…it's Lola's."

His face lit up, and he put it to his nose, trying to breath the scent. "Thought you didn't have anything of hers."

"I forgot," she admitted. "She asked me to take it on the truck with me while she went back to get her bags. Take it, if anything it might keep you a bit warmer out there."

"You kiddin' me?" he said, bending down to put it in his rucksack. "This is stayin' firmly in my backpack, else somebody will try and steal it…especially when they know it belonged to Lola."

"Well, you can do whatever you want with it. It's yours," she smiled, opening the door for him. "Sergeant? Please pass on my regards to Captain Winters."

Once he'd gone and she was alone, she walked over to the window, looking outside into the daylight for the first time. She watched all of the soldiers and HQ personnel, scuttling around, attending to their business. It was then she realised she wanted to do something to help. She might as well, seeing as she was stuck there…  
………………………………..

**21****st** **December, 1944**

The next day she awoke early, changed into fresh clothing and placed on the thick army overcoat that Dick had given her outside the Ardennes that night. Walking over to the door, she had to count to three before she could force herself to do it but, sure enough, 3 seconds later…she opened the doorknob and tentatively stepped outside her room. It was time for her to emerge from this building she'd been holed up in since she arrived. Slowly, she walked down the stairs, trying to ignore the whispers of _"she emerges…at last…" _from the personnel who walked past her. Pushing open the thick wooden door at the entrance, she stepped out into the street, taking in a huge gulp of fresh air. Ooh, headrush. Too much, too soon. She sloped to the side, sitting down on a wooden bench by the door, trying to get her breath back.

"Morning, Miss Caine," a voice sounded out from in front of her.

She looked up to see Captain Nixon staring back at her, wrapped up tightly against the cold.

"Morning, Captain Nixon," she greeted him.

"Call me Lewis," he replied, rubbing his hands together against the cold and stamping his feet. "What brings you out here? From what I hear you've been hiding away in your room since you got here."

"Well," she said, uncomfortably. "I couldn't stay there forever, could I?"

"S'pose not," he smiled at her, joking. "So what are your plans for today? Sightseeing?"

She rolled her eyes at his sarcasm, smiling slightly. "I was actually hoping to talk to Captain Winters, do you know if he'll be in Bastogne today?"

Nix gave her a secretive yet suggestive smile, pointing to the HQ doors she'd just come out of. "Yeah, he's right inside there actually."

"Oh, he is?" she asked, surprised. "Are you headed in there, yourself?"

"I am," he nodded, waiting for her to ask…

"Do you think you could ask him to come and see me? If he's not busy, that is."

"I'll see what I can do," he said, nodding politely at her as he made his way inside. "Have a nice day."

"You too," she called after him, rubbing her own hands together as she began to really feel the cold.

………………………

Nix walked into the main offices. He reached into his rucksack, pulling out some paperwork, signing it and asking a nearby orderly to make 3 copies. He'd done all he came to do.

"Seen Captain Winters?" he asked the orderly, who pointed him to the file room in the back.

He sauntered through the small, wooden door, instantly seeing Dick browsing through one of the filing cabinets. "Morning, Dick."

Dick looked up surprised, clearly not expecting company. He relaxed when he saw who it was. "Morning, Nix."

"Back in Bastogne so soon?" Nix teased.

"I had some things to take care of," Dick replied in his trademark serious tone.

"Oh," Nix said, leaning against one of the filing cabinets before casually saying. "Your girlfriend's outside."

Dick froze, not looking Nix in the eye and then trying to appear casual. "My what, Nix?"

"Your starlet, Roseanna. She's outside, asked me to ask you to go out and see her," Nix laughed.

"She left her room," he asked, surprised.

"Apparently so," Nix nodded. "Seems to have perked up a hell of a lot too."

Dick made his way to the door, stopping just by his friend. "Don't go around saying that she's my…what you just said, Nix."

"Dick," he laughed. "I was only kid-."

"Well don't," Dick warned, digging his friend in the ribs playfully as he passed him.

………………………..

"Roseanna?" Dick asked, almost unable to believe the girl sitting on the bench was her.

She looked up at the sound of his voice, a smile spreading on her face when she saw that it was him. "Morning, Captain Winters."

"Call me Dick," he said, taking a seat next to her. "Wow, you have colour back in your cheeks. My little present must have worked."

She laughed. "_Or_ it could just be the cold. But I am feeling a lot better, George's visit really helped. Thanks, Dick."

"He's good for cheering people up," Dick explained. A short silence followed, which he dutifully broke. "Well, since you finally escaped the confines of Battalion HQ, I'd offer to take you a walk around Bastogne…but there's not much to see, I'm afraid."

"It's okay," she shook her head. "I'm happy just to sit here for a while. You should go inside though, Dick. You've been out in the cold so long, and you don't get much time off the line."

"I'll be fine, don't worry, " he reassured her. "Nix said you wanted to talk to me?"

"Yeah," she paused, trying to figure out how best to word her request. "I've been thinking…. I was really selfish here when I was holed up in that room up there, just thinking about how sorry I felt for myself and not giving a damn about what you're all going through all over the forest."

"Okay…," he nodded, unsure of where this was going.

"Well I've been thinking that I want to help," she declared.

"…help?" he asked, squinting at her slightly.

"Yes, _help_," she enunciated. "In any way possible, really."

"Doing what, exactly?"

"I don't know, just…anything that needs doing," she said, trying to convince him. "It'll help me feel like I'm being useful and maybe it'll make people see it's not so inconvenient me being here."

"No one thinks that," Dick lied, trying to spare her feelings.

"Yes they do," she rolled her eyes, rubbing her hands together as the cold bit into her once more as a gush of wind blew over them. "Maybe I could…I dunno…help in the hospital or something."

He shook his head instantly. "No, no, no. That's not somewhere you should be Roseanna, it's too dangerous in there. The church foundations aren't very stable."

"Even if I just wash rags or something for the nurses so they have more free time to help the others," she suggested.

He laughed, feeling strangely enchanted by her sudden determination. He liked seeing that in her. He joked. "Are you tryin' to get me trouble with Sink? Imagine the papers if one of the nation's most loved young starlets gets killed under his command."

She sighed, relenting. "Okay, well maybe there's something I can do inside division here!"

He rubbed his temples, not wanting to dash her enthusiasm. He thought to himself for a second. "Maybe we can find you something in admin or in the mail room. Can you type?"

"Oh!" her eyes lit up at the prospect. "Yes! I typed my papers at Sarah Lawrence by typewriter."

"Then I'll see what I can do,"

"Thank you!" she smiled, elated. Before she realised what she was doing, she reached forward and planted a kiss on his cheek. He reddened as he was prone to do, placing his hand over his cheek for a second. "Sorry, I couldn't control myself there, Dick. Just happy to have the chance to help out and keep myself occupied here."

"It's…it's fine," he smiled.

"Okay," she stood up, offering a hand to help him up. "Let's see about getting you a hot meal."


	3. Chapter 3 outside the comfort zone

**Falling Star- Chapter 3**

Hi guys, I really hope you're enjoying the story so far! Please, as always, let me know any questions/comments/criticisms/suggestions that you might have. Thanks to everyone so far for the lovely reviews: WETSU, runaway4ever, captain ty, ber1719, waterlily777, THE DEADLY ANGEL, IKeepGoldFishInMyBra.

……………………………

**22****nd**** December, 1944**

True to his word, Dick had arranged it so that she could help in the mailroom. Well, perhaps he'd made it seem to her like it had been more of an effort to get her in but, in truth, it hadn't. It was sorting letters, hardly the brainiest job. The foolproof nature of the job also put his mind at ease, knowing he could be sure that she'd be occupied and as safe as possible. Seemingly she'd become his responsibility, probably since he'd been the one to address Sink that night outside the Ardennes. As trivial a job as it was, it gave her a sense of pride. That morning at 8.55 a.m., as she sauntered past everyone going about their daily tasks amid the ringing telephones, the clicking of various devices and animated chatter, she almost fell like she was playing a bigger part than in the USO…and she hadn't even done anything yet! Pushing open the heavy wooden door, she faced several Privates sorting through mountains of mail and telegrams. Okay, suddenly she felt out of depth.

_Ahem_, she cleared her throat, trying to get some kind of attention. No such luck, no one looked up. Probably couldn't hear her amid the paper rustling. _Ahem_, she tried again. Nothing. _Incredible_, she thought, in her day she could've commanded the attention of whole auditoriums and now she couldn't make her presence known in a mail room. _Ahem_, she tried a little louder. Finally, the closest-by Private looked up at her. He looked back down but then, doing a double-take, looked back up in surprise.

"Roseanna Caine?" he asked, his eyes wide-open. "…are you?"

Some of the other privates heard this and, looking up, raised their eyes in shock and began whispering amongst themselves. Not brave enough to approach her, of course. She smoothed out her skirt, simply nodding at the Private.

"No shit," he whistled, impressed. "You know…when George Luz spread the word that he'd spent the day with Roseanna Caine, we all thought he was full of shit. He said you'd gotten on the wrong truck, but that the higher-ups were trying to keep it quiet. That's the rumour going around, but we thought he was just bullshitting us. Said Winters told him not to say anything, not that he kept that one, of course."

"No, it's true, I'm afraid," she said, attempting a jovial laugh. "George Luz? Are you from Easy Company?"

"Yes, ma'am. Private Allen Vest," he nodded proudly, then looked around him, shrugging. "Well…not actually there _now_.... I do the mail, mostly."

"Well snap," she said, walking up to his desk. "That's why I'm here. Captain Winters arranged it so that I could work in the mailroom, keeping myself busy, really."

"That right?"

"Yeah," she said, clapping her hands together. "So, um…what are we doing here?"

"Need me to show you the ropes?"

She picked up a stack of letters, barely understanding the writing written on them. "I most certainly do!"

……………………….

Twenty minutes later, Vest had her fully-trained in understanding how the rotation of piles of letters worked so that each private could sift out the letters for his own company. It was monotonous, she felt, but better than sitting in her room reading the Great Gatsby over and over because it's the only book she had with her. She liked working with Vest, he was an instantly likeable person. Since his initial realisation of who she was, he hadn't brought it up again and she didn't feel like he was treating her any different to how he'd treat anyone else, instantly joking with her.

"This is good teamwork, " Vest said, pulling out a few letters and quickly scanning through them, taking one out and putting it in his basket and tossing the rest back in the pile. "At this rate I'll be done by noon and I can hunt out a hot meal before I gotta get back to the line."

"Don't say that," she said dryly, scanning through letters herself. "If we're done by noon then I'll need to find something else to do with my afternoon. This place is _pretty_ boring."

"You could always clean up the mailroom," he suggested jokingly. "Place is usually a mess by the end of the day."

"Don't say that," she said, horrified at the thought.

"I can see it now," he moved his hand in front of his face as though proposing a movie plot or title. "From singing sensation to cleaning lady in one day."

"Very funny," she said, tucking a stand of hair behind her ear.

Suddenly the door swung open abruptly and a pressed-looking Colonel Sink strode in like a man on a mission, clearly on the hunt for something. As if on cue, Vest looked down. Looking around, she noticed a lot of the other men were doing the same. It was like they were to scared to look into the face of power. _Wow_, she thought to herself, what an effect Sink had on these men. Sink began scrabbling around looking for something, tutting when he clearly couldn't find it. As he strode around the room, he caught sight of Roseanna, her hands full of letters.

He squinted at her at first, as though he'd forgotten who she was and was trying to recall. It hit him. "Miss Caine?"

"Colonel," she nodded politely at him. "Morning."

He looked down at the letters in her hand and pointed down at them. "What's this?"

"Just helping it out with the mail. I thought it would keep me occupied, and I wanted to offer a helping hand…since my presence here has been most untimely," she said, batting her eyelashes at him and using her sickliest sweet tone of voice. Vest cocked an eyebrow at her. She indicated to him. "Private Vest here has been showing me the ropes."

Surprisingly, the Colonel seemed to soften under her tone of voice. "Well that's what I like to see, teamwork."

"Exactly, Colonel," She beamed at him.

"Well, keep up the good work," he said, looking at each of them.

"I will do, Colonel," she replied, turning on the charm again. "And please let me know if there are any other little tasks that you need doing. No matter how trivial, I'm your girl…even if it's just getting you coffee."

"I will do," he said, nodding very approvingly at her as he made his way to the door. "As you were."

"Have a good day, Colonel Sink," she called after him. When he was gone, she went back to her task, whistling. The whistling trailed off slowly as she turned to see Vest staring at her, his eyebrow still cocked. "…what?"

"What the hell was that?" he asked, disbelievingly.

"What?" she replied, confused.

"Did I just see that?" he mused. "How did you manage to wrap someone like Colonel Sink round your little finger like that?"

"Oh that," she let out a little laugh. "When you grow up with the flashing lights of cameras in your face you learn quickly to become the embodiment of charm."

"That so?"

"Oh absolutely," she nodded. "Being famous is, I'd say, about 70% about being charming. Sometimes I don't even realise I'm doing it…that sounds bad, doesn't it? Oh well, Colonel Sink is an intimidating man and I'd rather have him on my side than against me."

"Can't argue with that," he nodded, looking back down at the letters in his own hand. "He still gives me the heebiejeebies."

"Mmm hmmm," Roseanna replied absent-mindedly, momentarily distracted by the letter she held in her hand. It was a small envelope, addressed to Dick. Nothing particularly special about it, other than that the handwriting looked distinctly feminine. She couldn't put her finger on it, but it piqued her curiosity. Was it from his mother? Or maybe his sweetheart back home? Or his wife, even? She didn't even know if he was married or not, suddenly realising that she'd never given it any thought. She ran it between her fingers, mulling it over in her head.

Vest noticed her prolonged attention on that particular letter. "Whaddya got there?"

"What?" she snapped back to reality. "Oh, nothing. Just a letter for Captain Winters. Looks like a women's written the address, doesn't it?"

He took a closer look. "Yeah, yeah I think so. Why?"

"I didn't know he was married…is he? He's such a secretive guy, I have no idea with him."

"Um," Vest scratched his head. "I dunno actually. He _is_ pretty secretive, well, more focussed on the job, I'd say. I don't think anyone really knows about his personal life. I don't _think_ he's married, though."

"Oh well," she shrugged. "Just thought there might be some juicy gossip."

"Not that I know of, anyway," Vest laughed, pointing at the cart full of letters from Easy. "Toss it in."

She held back a second, part of her, for some reason, wanting to hold onto the letter and give it to him herself. _No_, she chastised herself, _why would she do that_? She threw the letter in amongst the others. She changed the subject, putting a hand on the cart handle. "Well, I think we're about done here. Shall I wheel this outside for you?"

"No it's okay, I've got it," Vest stopped her, taking control of the cart a bit too strongly, causing a letter to spill over the side.

Tutting, she bent down to pick it up. As she came back up, her hand unknowingly scraped against the edge of the cart which was broken, jaggy and, obviously, dangerous. It hurt instantly. "OWW!"

"What happened?" Vest asked, alarmed. He looked at her hand, which had already begun to bleed. "Christ, how'd you do that?"

She motioned at the jagged edge. "Shit, that hurts."

"It looks pretty deep," he studied it more closely. He pointed at it, furrowing his brow. "You should get a dressing on that."

"Is there a first aid kit here?" She asked, clutching her hand to her chest.

"Uh…I don't think so," he said, grimacing at her. "You should go over to the hospital in the abandoned church across the way, they'll have dressing there."

"I don't think it's that serious," she screwed up her face.

"I do!" he said, moving her out of the way. "And quick, you're dripping on the letters!"

…………………………….

Tentatively, Roseanna walked down the steps into the cellar of the church that was doubling up as a makeshift hospital. She was walking tentatively as the moans and screams coming from within were constantly audible and now, this close to the actual building, they were louder, far more detailed and generally terrifying than they'd ever sounded from within the protection of HQ. If it wasn't for the spots of blood staining the thick snow with every step she took then she would've turned and run. Climbing off the final step, the colour drained from her face. She felt vomit rising in her throat. All around her was blood, blood spewing from soldiers, soldiers wearing their innards on the outside, soldiers with missing limbs, soldiers punctured with bullets…soldiers suffering from all of these ailments. She'd never seen anything like it in her life. It was the first time she'd ever directly seen the consequences of war. She felt like a stupid little girl, but she wanted to turn on her heel and run. However, her legs somehow carried her further into the room. She only stopped when she felt something grasp tightly at her ankle. Gasping, she looked down. A desperate face stared back at her. A soldier, blood slowly seeping through the bandages wrapped tightly around his torso, laying on a sheet on the floor, grabbed tightly at her ankle, gasping as he tried to speak.

"H…h…h…help…me," he choked out, his face desperate and pleading.

"I…I…," she squeaked, unable to produce any words. Panicked, she shook her leg fervently until he released his grasp. "I'm sorry…I can't help you."

She moved quickly away, standing in the middle of the room as people rushed around her. Her eyes darting everywhere, she saw that the medics were all preoccupied with people in far worse condition than herself. She felt ashamed, she'd had no right coming here for a grazed hand. She turned to leave and found herself face to face with a figure. A woman. A fatigued looking woman.

"What's the matter?" the woman asked, her voice thick with a foreign accent. Belgian, presumably. She tapped her foot, waiting for a response.

Roseanna felt like an idiot, she ashamedly showed her hand. "I'm sorry. I'm from HQ and I cut my hand. It just needs a dressing or something…I didn't know things were so bad here, I shouldn't have wasted your time. I'll go…."

The nurse looked down at her hand and then back up at her face. "No it's okay, I'll dress it. Follow me, I need to sit a moment anyway."

The nurse began to lead her to a secluded spot behind some storage boxes. As she pottered around, she indicated absent-mindedly at an upturned crate. "You can sit there."

Her legs shaking, she sat as instructed, her hands following suit to her legs. The nurse pulled another crate up next to hers and sat opposite her. As she reached for her injured hand, the nurse took a look at her face, furrowing her brow. "Are you going to be sick? You're face is turning green?"

"I'm just…I just…," Roseanna replied, feeling the need to take deep breaths. "I just feel a little bit…taken aback by this place. I've never…"

The nurse looked her up and down, noticing the way she was dressed. She'd clearly had time to put on a think layer of make-up and clothing that didn't suggest she planned to get dirty. "You're new to all this, aren't you?"

"I suppose it's obvious," she looked down, sadly. "I'm not supposed to be here."

"Majority of the people here aren't either," the nurse pointed out, a little annoyed at her comment.

"Oh," she said, avoiding her eye contact, embarrassed. "I just ended up here by accident is what I meant. I've never seen people on the verge of dying before."

"Oh," the nurse said, softening her tone as she began to dress the cut. "How did you get here?"

"I'm a singer, right now I'm a part of the USO….," she began.

"The USO? What's that?"

"The United Service Organisation. It's an organisation that supports the war effort by providing morale and entertainment to the soldiers- singing, dancing, socialising and chatting to them…that sort of thing," she explained. "We were doing a show in Mourmelon and I got on the wrong truck as we were leaving…and here I am."

"I see," the nurse looked down at the bandage as she carefully wound it round. "That was bad luck. I honestly can't think of anywhere worse to be right now."

"Tell me about it," Roseanna nodded. "I started working in the mailroom today though, helping out."

"You want to help out?" the nurse asked, slightly surprised. She'd assumed that, from the way her appearance was so coiffed, that she didn't like getting her hands dirty.

"Well, I _want_ to," she emphasised. "I was an idiot when I first came here, too worried about myself to think about the suffering of all of these soldiers. I'm not really good at anything though, except singing."

"You could sing in here," the nurse suggesting, shrugging her shoulders finishing wrapping the bandage around her hand, making sure to tie it extra tight. "Nights are the worst in here for the patients, most don't really sleep as I'm sure you can imagine. Plus, it's almost Christmas."

"Sing…in here?" Roseanna asked, her stomach lurching. The place made her feel really uneasy.

"Yes, here."

"I'm not sure," Roseanna stammered, her mind racing to think of an excuse so as not to have to admit to her fear.

"I thought you wanted to help," the nurse gently challenged her, boxing her in slightly because she hated to see apathy in a situation such as the one that they found themselves in in Bastogne.

"I do, but…," Roseanna stammered, realising she had to be honest. "This place…frightens me."

"Oh I see," the nurse said, reminiscing back to her first days in the hospitals. "You know, I was scared the first time I set foot in this place. I wasn't a nurse before this, you know. I wanted to be a teacher, but when war broke out and the inhabitants of Bastogne fled, I felt like I had to do something. MY first day in here was terrifying, all of these soldiers begging me to save them and I didn't know how. I had to put it to the back of my mind. Most of the men who come in here won't leave alive…all you can do is make sure they have some sort of peace in their last moments."

"I suppose," she said, still feeling nervous. "I'll…I'll have a think about it. Although, I did suggest to one of the officers that I help out here, and he seemed quite insistent that I didn't. "

"Okay," the nurse said, unwilling to spend the time forcing her- she had about 50 patients to attend to simultaneously. Besides, that last part sounded like an excuse. "I'll show you out."

Trying to avoid eye contact with any of the dying patients as the nurse led her to the door, a feeling of guilt invading her whole body, Roseanna changed the subject. "So you're a local from Bastogne?"

The nurse nodded. "I am yes, Belgian."

They stopped at the stairway.

"Thank you for the dressing," Roseanna held up her bandaged hand in appreciation.

"Not a problem," the nurse replied, noticing the guilty look in her eyes and feeling a bit sorry for her. "Don't worry about the singing, it was only a suggestion."

"No," she shook her head. "I really will think about it."

"Alright," came the reply accompanied by a polite nod.

"I'm Roseanna Caine, by the way," Roseanna held out her good hand.

"Renée," the nurse introduced herself, shaking her hand. "Roseanna Caine? Is your father the singer William Caine?"

"He is, yes."

"My father and I listened to his songs on the radio," Renée said excitedly. "I thought you looked familiar actually- I read a feature in a magazine about the Caine family…you're all singers."

"Mostly," Roseanna corrected. "My father's wife doesn't sing."

"Still," Renée's eyes twinkled. "I bet most of these patients would love to hear a Caine singing for them at Christmastime."

"No pressure, I thought you said," Roseanna arched an eyebrow at her. "Besides, I told you I was advised against it by one of the Captains here, and I really don't want to upset him because he's been so patient and friendly to me since I got here."

"Does he need to know?"

……………………

Roseanna trudged back through the snow, which was falling increasingly faster and thicker from the sky, back to HQ. As she walked she grasped her injured hand and mulled things over in her head. She knew she was being selfish. Why shouldn't she go and sing a few songs? Yes, the sight of blood and body parts made her quiver but…she could always pick a spot on the wall and just focus on that. She was so preoccupied with her thoughts that she didn't notice as she bumped, literally, into someone in her path. The impact sent her backwards but his hand reached out and grabbed her collar, pulling her back onto her feet before she hit the ground.

"Thank you," she said, looking over to see Nixon standing in front of her.

"Careful there,"

"Sorry, my mind was somewhere else," she apologised.

"I'll say he," he motioned to the hospital behind them. "What were you doing in there? I thought they put you in the mailroom."

She held up her hand to show him. "They did, but I had a little accident."

"…in the mailroom?"

"…yeah," she looked down, feeling like an idiot.

He put a hand over his mouth to stifle a laugh.

She looked up at him laughing, faintly offended at first then having to stop herself from laughing too. "Stop laughing!"

"I'm sorry," he cleared his throat, trying to stop his laughter as they walked together in the direction of HQ. "It's just…it's not a great advertisement for your first day of manual labour."

"Hey!" She shot him a glance, trying to appear offended. "I've done manual labour bef-…no, I can't even lie…."

He laughed again. "So what was it? A paper cut?"

They walked through the doors into the HQ building. "No! it was actually a loose, jagged metal edge of a postal cart."

In the light, he could see it better, and took in the large length of bandage that encased her hand. "hey, it must be pretty bad, actually."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Meh, they fixed it up well. I looked like such an idiot in front of the other personnel in there, though." She curled her lip in annoyance. "Now If I'd been _Lola_…."

Nix looked at her, amused. "Weighed down by that chip on your shoulder?"

She playfully backhanded him on the arm with her good hand. "Not funny."

"Well," he added jokingly. "Well, maybe they _don't_ appreciate you being here…but that's _just_ what a celebrity like you gets for taking two years off of making music for the good people of the United States and going off to college instead! How selfish are you!"

"You should be a comedian, not a soldier. They look for those in the USO, you know." she rolled her eyes, flashing a smile at him.

He shuddered at the thought.

"So how are things out there?" she asked casually.

"Where?"

"You know…out in the forest against the Germans?" she said, frowning at her choice of vocab. "Is the cold unbearable?"

"You mean on the line?" he joked, supplying her with the lingo. "Yeah it's fucking cold…but the cold is the least of our worries right now."

"Really?" she asked, arching her brow in concern.

He gave her a "don't ask" look.

"How's Dick?" she asked, concerned. "…and, you know, Luz and Vest and the others."

"Still alive," he gave her a jokingly enthusiastic thumbs up.

Though on the inside she felt genuine relief, she smiled along with his joke. "Well, I hope they're not beginning to sport such pitiful facial hair as you, Lewis. I thought beards weren't allowed in the army!"

"Hey," he said, defensively. "This baby is the only thing keeping me warm out there!"

"Well, then I suppose it's okay," she said, pretending to give her permission.

He smiled and motioned to a nearby door. "Well, I should get going. Have to get back onto the line."

"Okay, Lewis," she said, putting a polite, affectionate hand on his arm. "Goodnight. Give my regards to…well…anyone who wants them."

………………….

When Nix got back to the line that night after an extra-bumpy ride in the snow, he located Dick, sitting inside their makeshift hut and clasping a cup of coffee between his hands, staring out distractedly into the forest.

"I miss anything?" Nix asked, entering.

Dick snapped back to reality. "Artillery fire. Doubt it's the last we'll see tonight, not by a long shot."

"Got back just in time for the action then, I see," he said, thrusting a pile of bulletins and letters at him. "Picked up your mail."

"Thanks," Dick said, taking it from him and beginning to leaf through it. "Any news from Bastogne?"

Nix shook his head. "Not really."

"Coffee?" Dick asked, pointing over at the small tin pot of steaming coffee in the corner.

"Rather have something stronger," Nix pointed out, but poured himself a cup all the same. "You got quite a few letters today, I noticed. Adoring fans?"

"Nope, just family" Dick shook his head, still thumbing through the pile and stopping at one particular letter. "…and the like."

Nix sat down, taking a sip from his cup. "Oh, I ran into Roseanna. Literally."

Dick looked up from his letters. "Really? How is she doing?"

"Got a bandaged hand,"

Dick creased his brow. "What happened?"

"Cut her hand up pretty bad on a postal cart," Nick said, raising an amused eyebrow at his friend.

"She got hurt in the mailroom?" Dick asked, shaking his head disbelievingly.

"I know, right?" Nix rolled his eyes. "She'll live, though."

"She's a real fish outta water in a place like this, huh?" Dick mused, turning to look back out at the forest again.

"Don't worry, Dick," Nix reassured his friend. "At least tonight you can rest assured she'll be tucked up safely in bed."

"Yeah, safely…," Dick repeated quietly. The town of Bastogne could come under siege from the Luftwaffe at any point.

…………………………..

That night, Roseanna lay in bed listening to the wind whipping outside, causing the snowflakes to whip off of the window, sticking temporarily before sliding down slowly as water. She couldn't sleep. Her encounter in the hospital had bothered her. Her harshest reality check since coming there and leaving the comfort of her USO troupe truck. The wind was so loud that night that she couldn't hear the sounds of pain coming from the hospital, but she knew they were still there under the whipping wind all the same. The noise was too ingrained in her head now to let her forget. It was no use, she wouldn't be able to sleep until…. She through the covers back, quickly redressing into the clothes she'd taken off and sitting heavily down in front of the small, cracked mirror on her desk. Hurriedly, she pinned her hair back so that it at least looked presentable. Throwing on the army coat Dick had given her, she turned on her heel and flounced out of the room.

Marching across the snow-filled street of Bastogne, a voice in her head told her to go back. Still, she marched on. Her heart jumped into her throat at the sound of an explosion in the distance and she looked up to see the horizon light up orange. She took that, and the pile of dead bodies just by the church door as signs that she should turn back but she didn't. She couldn't. As she neared the flight of stairs, she finally realised why she was so afraid of this place. It was a reminder of what her possible fate could be. She might have been clueless for the most part as to the "score" of the war, but she knew for one thing that she was in an area surrounded by the Germans. She knew they could be overrun at any time. This knew realisation hung in the bottom of her stomach like a dead weight and, as she reached the final step, she didn't really know what to do next. She sat down on the bottom step, huddling her legs closer to her chest, dejected. No one seemed to have noticed that she'd stopped. Her eyes darting around, panicked, she suddenly raised her eyes in surprise at something. The soldier who'd grabbed her leg earlier today, the soldier who'd seemed on the brink of death, was still lying there. To her surprise, she saw him open and eye and make a small movement. She couldn't believe it, how had he lasted another 9 hours since she last saw him. She was so sure he couldn't possibly survive. Despite everything, a strange warmth filled her at that point. Looking around she saw that a lot of the patients that were on their back, seriously injured, were fighting to keep their eyes open and not shut out the light, not shut out the possibility or hope of survival. She thought that said something tremendous about the American spirit, the human spirit actually. She'd come here to sing a song, but she hadn't actually had one in mind, not even any of her father's nor her own material. At that point, there was only one that she could think of, one by the wonderful Kate Smith. Clearing her throat, she began to sing but, despite her improved spirit, it still came out quite quietly:

_God, bless America,  
Land that I love.  
Stand beside her,  
And guide her  
Through the night with a light from above._

She stopped after that line, taking her eyes off of the part of the wall she'd been boring her eyes into. Looking around, she saw that the nearest patients and doctors had stopped what they were doing to look over at her. Still huddled on the bottom step, she continued a little louder:

_From the mountains  
To the prairies  
To the oceans white with foam,  
God, bless America,  
My home, sweet home._

Now she had commanded the attention from majority of the main room, some even calling out "louder" and "keep going!". Unable to stop a smile from appearing on her mouth, she got to her feet:

_God bless America  
Land that I love  
Stand beside her  
And guide her  
Through the night with a light from above_

At that point several of the patients began joining in with her, singing along word-for-word. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Renée emerge from one of the back surgical rooms, leaning against the doorframe to watch her perform. She sung out the final lines loudly and proudly:

_From the mountains  
To the prairies  
To the oceans white with foam  
God bless America  
My home sweet home  
God bless America....  
My home sweet home!_

A gentle applause rose up within the old church cellar after she'd finished. It was nothing like the rapturous applauses she'd known throughout the various performances she'd given throughout her life, but she felt sure it was the most appreciative she'd ever received. As she smiled gratefully at those watching her, her cheeks flushed crimson with adrenaline and happiness. She'd performed to large crowds at various prestigious performances throughout her professional life, but she couldn't help but feel that the performance she'd just given, here in this dingy, cold cellar, would be the one that would stick out in her mind for a long time to come.


	4. Chapter 4 Table for Two

**Falling Star- Chapter 4**

Hey guys, hope you're enjoying the story and thanks for the reviews- keep them coming! Thanks especially because I got a total of 7 reviews for chapter 3- I think that's got to the most reviews I've ever received for a chapter in any of my stories! Thank you so much :D xxx

…………………

_**December 23**__**rd**__**, 1944**_

The next morning's light heralded a brand new Roseanna. As she made her way through the snow towards to the hospital to have her hand refreshed and her bandage redressed. For the first time in the past hellish week, she had something vaguely resembling a swing in her step. Walking down the stairs with a little bit of bounce, she was pleasantly surprised to see some of the lesser-wounded patients smile at her as she came in. As she began her hunt for Renée, a hand reached out and gently clasped her wrist as she walked by. Squinting, she looked down to see a soldier lying on a makeshift bed of three crates pushed together.

"Can I help you, Soldier?" she asked, gently pulling his hand from her wrist.

He looked at her earnestly, letting out a weak-sounding cough. He held up his arms helplessly. "Gee, Miss Caine. I'm sittin' here in this hospital, docs don't hold out much hope that I'll be alive to see tomorrow. Can you find it in your heart to grant a dying man's wish by givin' him a little kiss?"

Roseanna folded her arm, frowning as she looked down at his leg. "Soldier…you only have a bandaged foot."

"Meh," he smiled at her, picking up a glass from his "bedside" and downing the remainder of the contents. "Can't blame a guy for tryin'!"

She picked up the empty glass, gave it a sniff and recoiled, screwing up her face. "What _is_ this you've been drinking? Smells like paint thinner!"

"Christmas cheer, ma'am," he announced loudly and a little slurred. "That's what I've been drinking. May smell like paint thinner but, I'll tell ya, I don't feel a thing!"

She looked at him, amused. "What's your name, trouper?"

"Sisk ma'am. Wayne Sisk,"

"Well," she said, bending down and giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "Merry Christmas, Wayne Sisk."

"Roseanna?" Renée asked, appearing out of a side door, stressed and mopping sweat from her brow. "What are you doing back so soon? Come to get your bandage changed?"

"Yeah," Roseanna clutched her hand. "But I can come back later if you're too busy."

"No it's fine," she motioned her into the room she'd just come out of. "Quickly, though."

"Thanks, Renée," she said as the nurse began to strip the old bandages.

"Thanks for last night," Renée smiled in appreciation. "The men really enjoyed it."

"Thanks," she smiled bashfully, joking. "At least they didn't boo me or anything!"

Renée smiled, trying to stifle a yawn.

"Gee, you sure seem tired today," she observed.

"It's just so busy today," Renée replied, yawning again. "It's not just assisting the doctors, it's trying to stay on top of the cleaning that's weighing me down today. It's just me, today. The other girl was too exhausted, though I can't complain she worked 23 hours straight."

Roseanna smiled sympathetically at the tired, overworked nurse. "Well…I could help. Funnily enough I've decided not to return to the mailroom today…health and safety issues I feel need to be addressed there."

Renée looked at her sceptically, cocking an eyebrow. "_You'd_ be willing to get your hands dirty?"

"Is that so unbelievable?"

"Well…yes," Renée said honestly.

"Well hey," Roseanna shot back, pretending to be offended. "I might be a spoiled singer but right now I'm _more_ than willing to do my fair share."

Renée held her hands up in defence, yawning again. She was too tired to argue, but frankly she'd believe it when she saw it, despite how nice a girl Roseanna seemed. "Okay fine, we need all the help we can get right now. As along as you can start right now then I'm happy."

"Great," she stood up, beaming as she took off her army coat. "Where's the coat stand so I can hang my coat up?"

Renée rolled her eyes. "Most of the beds here are made from crates…why would you think we'd have a coat stand?"

……………..

Forty minutes later, Roseanna stood over a large metal tub of boiling water, fervently slopping blood-soaked bandages around with a large wooden stick to try and clean them. She felt a small bead of sweet trickle down her left temple. This was harder than it looked. She was so engrossed in the task that she didn't hear someone enter the room, just jumped with fright when they began to speak.

"Excuse me, Miss," the voice drawled. "Have you see the otha nurse that works here?"

She turned round to face him. She definitely recognised the voice from somewhere but couldn't place his dark hair nor his serious-looking face. "She's just down the hall."

"Thank you," he kept looking at her. "Miss Caine?"

"That's right," she eyed him, trying to work out how she knew that voice. "Have we met?"

"Kind of," he replied. "I tried to check on you on your first night in Bastogne at Captain Winters' request. Eugene ma'am…Eugene…."

"Roe," she said, finishing his sentence for him. "Eugene Roe?"

"That's right," he nodded, adding a little dryly. "Nice to finally meet you face-to-face."

She blushed. "Sorry about my behaviour during those first days. I was just…overwhelmed by all this."

"Don't worry about it, ma'am," he offered her a smile. He motioned around the room. "What are you doing _here_?"

"Helping out," she explained, holding up the wooden stick in her hand. "Helping with the cleaning and the like."

"Really?" He asked, slightly surprised. "You?"

Sighing, she dipped the stick but into the tub. "I wish people would stop saying that!"

He looked at her sympathetically. He was surprised. Judging by her attitude when she'd arrived, she seemed like a typical, ditzy starlet who looked out for no one but herself. He found her presence in the hospital quite admirable. "Sorry, ma'am. I didn't mean any disrespect."

"I know," she replied, stirring the bandages round again in the boiling water.

"I don't think Captain Winters would be too happy to know you've been working in here, though," he pointed out, leaning against the doorframe.

She froze slightly at the mention of his name, and turned back round to face Eugene. "I know he wouldn't, so please don't say anything."

He smiled at her. "If he asks, I didn't see anything."

She smiled gratefully at him, her attention diverted to behind him as Renée walked briskly into the room to fetch something but stopped short when she saw Eugene. "Eugene?"

"Mornin'," he said softly to her, his cheeks colouring slightly.

"You know each other?" Roseanne asked, raising an eyebrow as she took in the way that they looked at each other. _What's that about? _She thought to herself.

"Uh, yes," Renée said, snapping back to reality. "Eugene came in the other day to get some supplies."

"How have you been?" He asked Renée, looking straight past Roseanna earnestly at the nurse, his eyes thick with concern.

Roseanna had the feeling that she should make a sharp exit and let the two be alone. She picked up a nearby crate of washed bandages and began her exit. "I'll just find a place for these."

Eugene slapped his forehead, remembering something. "I'm sorry Miss Caine, I was about to tell you there before Renée came in but Captain Winters is around HQ. He came in on the truck with me. There's been an ammo dump. I'd make yourself scarce right now."

Roseanna's eyes lit up before she could control herself. "Dick's here?"

Eugene nodded.

She snapped back to reality, setting the crate down and throwing her coat on. "Thanks Eugene, you're a lifesaver. I'll come back later to lend a hand, Renée."

……………………

Roseanna stepped outside, instantly raising her eyebrows in surprise. As she looked at the dozens of tiny parachutes falling from the sky, she wondered if she was imagining it. At first she panicked that they might be bombs but then she saw it was merely sacks attached to the ends of the parachutes. It was the most peculiar thing she'd ever seen. Oh well, everything that had happened to her in the past week had been so bizarre that she couldn't really disbelieve anything anymore. As she made the brisk walk to HQ, she took in the sights of Army personnel rushing to catch the sacks attached to the parachutes as they fell. Slinking inside the large doors of HQ, she decided to go up to her room and freshen up her face a little beforehand. However, she was only halfway up the stairs when she stopped abruptly at the sight of Dick on his way down from her room. Both stopped abruptly in their tracks at the sight of each other.

He blushed, embarrassed to be caught coming down from her room. "I…I just knocked on your door to see if you were in."

"Oh?" She said, feeling a rush of relief and comfort at the sight of his face. She supposed she'd just become so attached to him as he'd been the one who'd looked out for her upon her arrival there. "I was just out for a walk. Coming to see me?"

"Yeah," he cleared his throat. "Nix told me that you'd hurt yourself."

"Oh," she said, holding up her hand. "Yeah."

His eyes widened at the sight and, without realising what he was doing, he reached out and gently picked up her hand in his own, his fingers gently grazing hers, looking closely at the bandaging. "This looks serious."

She felt a rush in her stomach as he did this. "It…it looks worse than it is."

He suddenly realised what he'd done, dropping her hand instantly. "Sorry."

"That's alright," she said, finding it adorable how bashful he could get. A small, awkward silence settled over both of them, which she broke. "So…is that why you came into town, to check on me?"

"Oh," he said, finding his voice again and shaking his head. "No."

"Oh," she looked down.

"I didn't mean it like that," he reassured her quickly. "There was an ammo dump and there were a few trucks on their way into Bastogne to pick up supplies, so I thought I'd hop on one because I had to talk to Sink…he's not around, though."

"So you thought you'd come check on me, instead?" she teased.

"Something like that," he smiled shyly at her, playing along.

"Well," she took a deep breath and clearing her throat. "Since he's not around, do you want to have lunch, or something…with me?"

"Um," he scratched his head, looking at the ground.

She screwed up her face, realising how "datey" that sounded. Quickly, she added. "I could use the company, that's all."

"Okay," he said, relenting. "I have about an hour before I should head back. "Why don't I go see what I can scrounge up and I'll meet you in your room."

"Okay," she smiled, putting a hand on the banister.

"I'm afraid it won't be the fine dining you're used to, though, he joked, his eyes twinkling. "Bit of a food shortage."

She rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it. I can't tell you how much weight I've lost since I got here!"

…………………….

Back in her room, she went into a quick flurry of preparation during which she was shocked at her own actions. Quickly, she applied a layer of lipstick. Next she pulled her desk nearer to her bed, putting the chair on the opposite side, fashioning a sort of makeshift dining table. Disconcerted that her heart was beating quickly, she sat on her bed, waiting for Dick. Finally she heard his footsteps approaching her room.

"I found something in a pot. I think it's a broth but I'm not sure," he said, coming into the room with two steaming cups. He stopped short when he saw the little dining table she'd put together, joking nervously. "Table for two?"

She smiled bashfully. "Something like that."

He set the cups down on the table, sitting down on the wooden desk chair opposite her. "So…done with the mailroom, then?"

"Oh absolutely! Far too dangerous," she cried then looked down, realising what she'd said. "Although, erm…obviously not in comparison to where you are out there in the Ardennes."

He laughed, holding up a hand to show he wasn't offended.

"I _would_ ask how it was going," she began. "But I learned from Captain Nixon that it's better not to ask."

"Yeah," he smiled, enjoying the warmth of being inside.

"Well, I'm just glad you're still alive," she told him, honestly, staring genuinely into his eyes.

"Thanks," he said, blushing slightly.

Another silence broke between them as they silently ate their soup.

"I can't believe tomorrow is Christmas Eve," She mused, watching the snow fall outside.

"Bizarre, isn't it," he agreed.

"I know the same goes for everyone here, but this isn't how I thought I'd be spending my Christmas," she told him.

"And what were your plans, exactly?" he asked curiously, adding teasingly. "Big family dinner at the million-dollar mansion?"

"No," she shot him a cheeky smile. "I was going to go to Iowa to spend Christmas with my Grandparents."

"Were you going to go with your father and sister?"

"No," she shook her head, looking down. "I was going to go alone."

He cocked his head at her. "You _really_ don't get on with your family, do you?"

"Is it that obvious?" she laughed. "No, not particularly. We're not a real family, not really."

"You're father is married to Lola's mother, though," he pointed out.

"Not to me," she said indignantly, looking down as she spooned more soup into her mouth. "I love my father very much, but to me the notion of family died along with my mother. My real mother."

His eyes softened as he looked into her gentle, green eyes, thick with sadness at that moment. He filled with sympathy for her, for the starlet who the world knew as being from the most loving family on earth, but who actually suffered under the influence of a controlling stepfamily. Her pretty features were consumed by sadness and regret. He wanted to say something to cheer her up, but all he could think of was. "Have you tried to get along with them?"

She shot him a "don't go there" look.

_Great Dick,_ he thought to himself. _Well done_. Quickly, he added. "They're having a turkey dinner here at HQ for the higher-ups. I'm sure they'd happily have you at their table. At least it would be sort of like a normal Christmas for you."

"Maybe," she shrugged, smiling appreciatively at him. Suddenly a thought hit her, and she made a mental note to talk to Colonel Sink. Changing the subject, she said. "So, did you get your post? The post I worked hard with Private Vest to sort."

"I did yes," he nodded. "Thank you."

She took the opportunity to bring it up. "I noticed you had quite a few letters. You must have a lot of family back home. Is that who they were all from? …Family?"

"Um…yes," he lied, taking a deep, final mouthful of soup before setting his empty cup back down.

"That's nice,"

"Well," he said, standing up. He knew the letter she was talking about and thought he should make a sharp exit before she asked any more questions about it. "I should get back, give the men a hand to load the trucks."

"O…Okay," she said, standing up, sad that he was leaving so soon. "I'll see you soon?"

"Hopefully," he nodded, giving her a cheeky smile. "Maybe I'll surprise you."

She waited until he was gone and she was alone before uttering. "Hopefully I can give you a surprise too, Dick."

…………………….

That evening, Roseanna dressed as smartly as possible before walking down the main floor offices and preparing a cup of coffee at the refreshment station just outside of the room Sink had taken over as his office. Turning her head round, she hissed quietly over at the orderly sitting at a table just by the door. "Excuse me? What does the Colonel take in his coffee?"

The orderly looked up, surprised. "I'm sorry?"

"His coffee," she repeated. "What does he take in it?"

"Um…2 sugars," the orderly, replied, leaning out of his chair to see what she was up to. He raised his eyes. "Excuse me, _I_ usually get the Colonel his coffee."

She quickly added two sugars and stirred them into the cup, flashing a mischievous smile at the young orderly. "Well, consider it one less task that you have to do tonight!"

Quickly, coffee in hand, she scurried past the annoyed-looking orderly and rapped twice on Sink's door. She waited.

"Enter," came the deep, booming reply from the other side.

Clearing her throat and pulling her skirt down a little further to look more presentable, she pushed her way inside the door, standing in front of the desk. The Colonel, engrossed in the papers he was mulling over, didn't look up as she came in. She cleared her throat loudly.

That made him look up. He blinked at her. "Miss Caine? What brings you here?"

She held up the coffee to show him before setting it down in front of him. "I brought you some coffee. Two sugars, just the way you like it."

"And how exactly do you know how I like my coffee?" he questioned suspiciously, raising an eyebrow at her.

"I have my ways, Colonel," she flashed him a toothy smile absolutely dripping with charm.

"Mmm hmm. I see," he said, still suspicious as he leaned back in his chair, looking at her. "And what favour, might I ask, is this coffee a precursor to?"

She gasped, showing him an offended expression. "Colonel! I'm offended by that!"

"Pardon my language, Miss Caine, but let's cut through the crap here, I've a lot of paperwork to get through before I can get to bed," he said, placing his hands on either side of the desk. "Besides, if my time in the services has given me anything, it's a good ability to smell bullshit."

She sighed, taking a seat in front of his desk. "Okay, you win."

"Thank you," he said, offering her an amused smile. He motioned a hand at her. "Go on…."

"Well," she sat forward in her chair, clearing her throat gently. "Well, Sir, as you know it's Christmas in two days…"

"I am aware," he interrupted, dryly.

"Well," she said, a quick pang of annoyance flashing through her at his interruption. "Captain Winters and several of the other men of Easy company have been so helpful to me since I arrived here, really tried to help me fit in and looked out for me."

"Have they now?"

"Yes, Sir," she said, earnestly. "Now, I know that they'll be spending a rather miserable Christmas out there in the freezing cold snow. With that in mind, I would really like the chance to repay them for their kindness to me."

"And what exactly did you have in mind?"

"Well, Sir," she held up her hands, honestly. "I don't have a lot of talent for anything but singing, Sir, so I thought I could do just that. I was wondering if you'd give me permission to go out to the forest and sing for them on Christmas Day."

She flashed him a sweet, persuasive smile.

He just looked at her for a few second, seemingly trying to find out if she was being genuine in her suggestion. Finally he just threw his head back and let out a laugh. "Miss Caine, those men are positioned _dangerously_ close to the German lines. Stealth is key. Now with _that_ in mind, how could I possibly let you go out there and sing our position away to the Germans."

"Oh," she frowned. Truth be told, she hadn't thought of that at all. Oh well, quick tactical change. "Well in that case, Colonel Sink, might I then suggest that you allow me to go out and simply spend mealtime with the soldiers to raise their morale. Raising morale, as you know, is an objective of the USO.

He looked at her sceptically.

She quickly continued, thinking on her feet and placing a firm hand on the desk. "Think about it Colonel Sink, it's going to be Christmas Day and these fellas will be cold, hungry and, worst of all, miles away from home. How low do you think their morale will be?! I could simply go out and share some jokes and conversation with them over their evening meal and you can bet your bottom dollar that they'll be better for it!"

He opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off, continuing with her persuasive rant.

"And, honestly Colonel, it'll be those happier, positive soldiers that'll be more use to you, won't it?"

He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms and smiling almost affectionately at her. "Well, you're a very persuasive young lady, Miss Caine. It's a shame you're not a man…I'd be happy to have you as a soldier in this battalion."

"Thank you, Colonel," she blushed, feeling slightly proud of herself.

Yes, she was good, but he felt the need to test her. He leaned forward in his chair. "You do realise that you'd be putting yourself in a very dangerous situation? You could die, Miss Caine."

She flinched momentarily, that hadn't actually crossed her mind. She only let it bother her for a nanosecond though, plastering a smile on her face. "Yes, I'm aware of that, Sir."

"It's a very noble suggestion, Miss Caine, but I can't for the life of me understand why _you'd_ want to spend your Christmas Day in the freezing cold eating refried beans with soldiers who haven't seen a shower in quite some time," he said, staring down at her, trying to understand. "Especially when you could be eating a turkey dinner here at HQ."

She put a hand over her chest, shaking her head. "That sounds so wonderfully tempting, but I honestly couldn't enjoy that guilt-free knowing that those men are out there eating nothing but beans for their Christmas meal."

"Well, then there's nothing else I can say," he leaned back in his chair.

"So, I can go?" she asked him eagerly.

"You can go," he nodded, relenting.

"Thank you," she pumped her fists in the air, elated. She stood up and walked to the door. "Thank you, Colonel, you wont regret this."

"See that I don't," he ordered, taking a drink from his cup.

Outside the door, she cheered to herself, a massive smile on her face.

"You look pleased with yourself," the orderly observed almost bitterly from his table.

"I am," she replied, walking back to her room.

And she was. If she was going to be here at Christmas, she couldn't think of anyone in the vicinity she'd rather spend it with. Plus, she couldn't wait to see Dick's face when he saw her get off that truck.


	5. Chapter 5 Christmas Eve Rejection

**Falling Star Chapter 5**

………………………………

_**December 24**__**th**__**, 1944**_

Roseanna sighed heavily, wiping her brow. She was stuck with the impossible task. Blood just wouldn't come out of white sheets. It was actually impossible. With one frustrated cry, she threw the muddied bandages into the crate. _It'll have to do_, she thought to herself. Picking up the crate, she made her way to the supply room. As she entered, whistling to herself, she stopped in her trucks, seeing Eugene and Renée in the midst of a hushed conversation, whispering as their heads were tilted towards each other. Both looked over as she walked in, stepping instantly further apart from each other.

"Morning you two," she said, nonchalantly putting her crate down but casting a cheeky sideways glance at Renée.

"Well," Eugene said standing up, clearing his throat, embarrassedly. "Well, I should get going back to the line."

"Take it easy, 'Gene," Roseanna called after him, offering him a friendly smile. She waited until she and Renée were alone before finally asking. "What was that about?"

"What?" Renée asked, flustered.

"That hushed conversation?" she probed.

"Nothing," Renée replied firmly. "We were just making conversation, exchanging pleasantries, that kind of thing…"

"There isn't anything…," she began, pausing as she worried that they weren't close enough for this conversation, but curiosity got the better of her. "…going on between you two, is there?"

Renée stopped what she was doing, suddenly looking up at Roseanna, her face crimson…with anger? Roseanna couldn't be sure. "Of course not, don't be so silly."

"I'm sorry," she looked down, sensing she'd gone too far.

Renée sighed, continuing of her own accord. "Eugene and I have too much work to do to be distracted by that sort of thing."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to cause any offence," she apologised, trying to lighten the situation with a joke. "…you _are_ blushing, though."

"I am not!" Renée, unable to help herself, stifled a laugh and put a hand to her cheek to check.

Roseanna slumped down on a nearby crate, happy to rest her legs for a moment. "Are you at least attracted to him?"

"What does that matter, Roseanna?"

"Just wondered," she replied with a devilish grin.

Renée stood up to face her, putting a hand assertively on each hip. "How about we talk about this "Dick" you keep talking about. Do you want to talk about him?"

Roseanna gasped, her cheeks flushing crimson, embarrassed. "Um…erm…that's neither here nor…."

Renée watched her squirm, highly amused. "I thought so."

"Yes, well," she coughed, standing up and picking up a crate, eager to get away quickly. "I'd better…you know?"

"Of course," Renée flashed her a victorious smile. "Those bandages won't move themselves."

Roseanna rushed out, the crate weighing her down but she didn't care. Not looking, she bumped her leg into a someone sitting down just by the door. She carried on, calling back over her shoulder "Sorry!!".

"That's alright," the man called after her, suddenly squinting as he looked at her. It was in fact, Nix. He turned back to the face the bedridden Easy soldier he'd stopped by to check on since he'd been in town anyway. "Was that Roseanna?"

"Yeah," Skinny replied, stretching out his leg and wincing at the pain that refused to go away.

"What's she doing here?" Nix asked, confused, watching her disappear into one of the back rooms.

"She sings here sometimes," Skinny told him. "Least that's what she _was_ doing. Now she seems to be helping out here, cleaning and talking to the soldiers, telling jokes to cheer them up, that kind of thing."

"She's been singin' here?" Nix asked, raising an eyebrow, surprised that she would make the effort to do something like that…he'd assumed she'd be spending the nights holed up in her room, daydreaming to avoid reality.

"Yeah," Skinny replied. "Will be tonight, too."

"Is that right?" a smile played about his lips. He thought it might be a good idea to let Dick know. He knew his buddy was overworked out there in the cold and on the line, and what a fan he was of Caine music and, more recently, Roseanna himself. Yes, that would be a nice surprise for him.

………………………….

"Okay," Roseanna yawned, throwing on her overcoat. "I'm exhausted. I'm gonna head back and de-grease a little before tonight…at least attempt to make myself look as though I _haven't___spent majority of the day covered in blood and grime."

Renée laughed. "Okay. Try and get some sleep, too. You're looking a little fatigued under the eyes."

"Thanks, Renée," she said dryly, rolling her eyes as she smiled at the equally as exhausted nurse. "Don't motivate me _too_ much, will you?"

The nurse offered her a friendly smile back. "Go on, get home. Good work today."

"Thanks," she called over her shoulder as she left.

On the way to the door, a hand reached out and gently grasped her wrist. She looked down to see Private Wayne Sisk (who she'd since learned had the nickname of "Skinny") staring back at her.

"You know, Skinny," she said, pulling up a crate and sitting next to him. "There _are_ better ways of getting someone's attention rather than just latching onto them."

"Yeah, I know," he sat up in his makeshift cot bed. "You walk so damn fast though, if I don't grab you I'll miss you!"

"Fair enough," she said, folding her arms over her lap. "So what can I do for you?"

"I wanna show you something," he said, reaching down the opposite side of the cot, fumbling for something.

"Okay…,"

She watched as he drew his hand back up, bringing with him a small piece of mistletoe. "Ta Da!"

She squinted at him, having to suppress a laugh. "Mistletoe?"

"Yeah," he said, proudly, holding it as far into the air as he could. "Come on, you know the rules."

"Skinny, you already got your kiss, remember?" she stared warningly at him. "Besides, where did you even get that?!"

"It's a secret, ma'am," he teased, bringing his arm back down in defeat.

"Can I see it?"

"Sure,"

She looked at the small plant he gave her, thinking about how pretty and, well, romantic it was. She liked it. "Hey, Skinny…do you mind if I have this?"

"Yeah, why not," he said, yawning, then staring suggestively at her. "Aint like I'm gettin' kissed anyway…am I?"

"Sorry," she shook her head, standing up and tucking the mistletoe carefully into her pocket. "But thanks for the mistletoe. Have a good evening, Skinny. Try to get some sleep and I'll see you tonight."

As she walked through the snow back to HQ, she noticed how bouncy her step was. Perhaps it was the mistletoe, but she was definitely feeling a little Christmassy…for the first time since she'd arrived. Yes, she definitely knew this was true when she realised she was springing up the stairs to her room two at a time despite spending almost the whole day in the hospital. She stopped short outside of her door, noticing a bottle lying in front of it. She picked it up, reading "VAT 69"on the label. She frowned, wondering where it came down. She suddenly, moving her hands around the bottle, felt a little note attached to the back, which she tore off and read:

_Roseanna,_

_I heard about the clandestine concerts you've been giving at the hospital. I was a little shocked, I have to say (not that I doubted your wish to do your bit here in Bastogne…that much!). Honestly, I find it very admirable that you've been doing this for those injured soldiers and also that you're putting your time here to good use. With that in mind, I thought I'd leave you a little Christmas gift, call it Dutch courage for your performance tonight. Make sure you enjoy it, a few people around here could tell you that I don't part with this easily. _

_Merry Christmas,_

_Lewis Nixon_.

She smiled at the note, thinking at the same time it was a bit risky for a captain to be leaving bottled alcohol around like that. But then again, she reasoned, no one ever really came up as far as this anyway except for her, there was nothing on the floor except her room and some locked, dusty storage rooms. Suddenly she stopped- how did he know she'd been singing in the hospital. Shivers ran down her spine, hopefully he hadn't told Dick! Trying to shake it off, she went inside, placing the bottle on the table, and laid down for a nap.

An hour and a half later she'd awoken, washed as well as possible given the primitive washing facilities, and begun to "beautify" herself for the night ahead. She decided that, since it was Christmas Eve, she should make the extra effort to look special. She put on a long red dress, gathered in at the waist with a slight slit up the leg but, at the same time, with a respectable neckline…she didn't want to drive these men into a sexual frenzy by dressing provocatively, they hadn't seen a trussed up woman since the USO show in Mourmelon. She placed a last pin into the curls she'd piled together into a loose chignon bun at the back of her head. Applying a layer of red lipstick, she then added some dark grey eyeshadow to give her eyes a "smoky" look (little did she know how fashionable the "smoky eye" look would become in later years). She pursed her lips into her small, cracked mirror. Something was missing. _Ooh I have an idea_, she thought to herself, reaching into her army coat pocket which was hanging up behind her door. She pulled out Skinny's mistletoe, noticing it was attached to a very pointy and stiff stem. She weaved it into her hair, letting it rest behind her left ear. She looked into the mirror. _Well that's sort of festive-looking_, she thought, deciding it would suffice. Done, she sat down, thinking about the night ahead. She really wanted to cheer everyone up for Christmas. You couldn't have failed to notice the vague deepening of depression that had swept over the hospital in the last two days alone as it dawned on the patients that Christmas was upon them and made them think about what they'd be missing back home. Her wandering eyes rested upon the bottle of VAT 69 sitting in the corner of the desk. She pursed her lips again, tempted. She'd never drunk straight whisky, or in fact any straight spirit, before. Sure, she'd dabbled with the odd cocktail at social events and showbiz parties but those were mostly fruit juice. _Oh well_, she reasoned to herself- her time here _had _been a time of firsts. Besides, maybe Nixon was right, maybe she could use some Dutch courage. Before she could talk herself out of it, she poured herself a rather sizeable glass and necked it. Screwing up her face against the sourness of the spirit, she screwed the top back on. That was enough for now. Throwing on her coat, she picked up her bag and placed the bottle inside. Surely the soldiers would be glad of a little Christmas drink.

………………………

"Oh well," Roseanna laughed, sitting by the makeshift cot of a soldier with a large bandage wrapped around his head, trying to get a laugh out of him. "Christmas at home is overrated, isn't it? Sure you get presents, but then you have the family round and they all drink too much Christmas brandy and everyone starts arguing and you just wish you could be anywhere else but there…."

The soldier shook his head, staring at her blankly. "…no. It's never like that round mine at Christmas."

"No?" She looked at him, confused. "Hmmm, it's like that at mi-…wow, I thought that was a standard Christmas. Oh well…at least you don't have to wear any home-knitted sweaters in baby blue with snowflakes or reindeer on them. You gotta be grateful for that at least."

To her delight, the soldier let out a laugh. "That much is true. Geez, my nana has made me some terrible sweaters over the year."

"See," she said, standing up and clapping her hands together emphatically. "Now I bet you feel like the lucky one. Have a good night, trooper."

She decided to leave him to his own devices. Also, she said to herself that he'd be her last "meet and greet" of the night. The problem with these social chats was that, when she'd offered them a little glass of VAT 69, they'd insisted she toast with them, so she'd ended up consuming more whiskey than she'd actually intended or wanted to…and she feared it was beginning to have an effect on her. She turned to leave, smiling at managing to rouse a laugh in him. No sooner had she turned around did the smile leave her face…as she walked smack, bang into Captain Nixon and Dick.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, paling slightly. It was all she could think of to say.

"Hello to you, too," Nix joked.

"Sorry…Hi," she said, shaking her head, nervously trying to avoid Dick's stare which she could already feel boring onto her. She tried to appear casual. "What brings you two here?"

"Doing the duty rounds. It's Christmas Eve so we've been given some time off the line to come into town and pay a _festive_ visit to the hospitalised Easy soldiers, since they're stuck here," Nix explained.

Dick spoke up, gently. "Well that's what Nix is supposed to be doing her. He told me you've been singing here and said I should come along…because he knows how much I like your music."

"Oh," she breathed, losing herself in his eyes the minute she finally made eye contact with him. Damn whiskey. She couldn't tell from his eyes whether he was annoyed with her or not. She couldn't take it…had to get out of there. She pointed at the stairs (her makeshift stage). "Well okay then, I'd better go and sing…enjoy the show."

She scurried up to the stairs, taking her position on the final step. She instantly felt a little ill-at-ease with the thought of Dick watching her up there. That faded temporarily, however, when a small applause rose throughout the room as the patients noticed her standing on the bottom step. Since she'd begun singing there, the action of standing on the bottom step had become the cue that she was about to start singing.

"Okay," she said. "Can everyone hear me?"

"Yes!" a chorus rose up.

"Fantastic! Okay, well first of all Merry Christmas to you all," she held up her hands emotively, ever the performer. "I sincerely hope you're all enjoying it as best as possible. Yes, I know we'd all rather be home than here but the way I figure it God has graced us by keeping us alive for another Christmas to celebrate the birth of the baby Jesus, so for that, at least, we should all be grateful!"

Another small applause centred around the room.

"Thank you," she gushed. "Okay, so I thought I'd sing a little Christmas song for you tonight. Would you like that?"

More cheering.

"Okay, I'm going to sing my absolute, all-time favourite Christmas song. I loved it when I was a little girl and I _still_ love it just as much today! It is _Santa Clause is Coming to Town._ I know, I know, it's a good one," she said, clapping her hands in response to the whoops and cheers at her song choice, trying to block out the odd groan at her song choice too. "Now, as you can see I don't have a piano or anything here to provide the music, unfortunately, so I though you could all help me. You provide me the music and I'll provide the voice. Okay, so if you could just all hum for me. It's goes like this…"

She hummed the tune loudly and motioned for everyone to give it a try. Finally, when she was satisfied that they all had it perfectly, she cleared her throat and began to sing along:

You better watch out  
You better not cry  
You better not pout  
I'm telling you why  
Santa Claus is coming to town  
Santa Claus is coming to town  
Santa Claus is coming to town

He's making a list,  
Checking it twice;  
Gonna find out who's naughty or nice.  
Santa Claus is coming to town  
Santa Claus is coming to town  
Santa Claus is coming to town

He sees you when you're sleeping  
He knows when you're awake  
He knows if you've been bad or good  
So be good for goodness sake

With little tin horns and little toy drums  
Rooty toot toots and rummy tum tums  
Santa Claus is coming to town  
Santa Claus is coming to town  
Santa Claus is coming to town

He sees you when you're sleeping  
He knows when you're awake  
He knows if you've been bad or good  
So be good for goodness sake  
Goodness sake

You better watch out  
You better not cry  
You better not pout  
I'm telling you why  
Santa Claus is coming to town  
Santa Claus is coming to town  
Santa Claus is coming  
Santa Claus is coming  
Santa Claus is coming to town

As she sung out the final lyrics, a loud applause sounded out. She gushed, loving every second of the applause. Feeling a little more confident, she took a glance over at Dick, hoping that her song had entranced him enough and that he wouldn't look angry at her for being in the hospital. She smiled giddily when she saw him smiling warmly at her, his attention completely focussed on her as he clapped along with everyone else. She felt like she was flying. She swore it, performing was like a drug. The high was unlike anything else.

"Well thank you everyone. You all hummed very well!" She said, making to move off of the step and back onto the stone floor. Suddenly, her heel caught in the hem of her floor-length dress, sending her toppling over, her head aiming for the direction of a direct hit onto the stone floor. Luckily, Dick lunged forward from his nearby position, grabbing her in his arms before she could make that direct hit. Gasping, she looked up into his face, which was close to hers. Breathing deeply and still a bit phased from the fall, she melted into his attractive facial features, his warm eyes, his kind smile. Her stomach instantly filled with butterflies at the feeling of his hands on her bare arms. What an attractive man.

Realising they'd probably been in this clinch a bit too long, she pulled away, free her heel from her dress and standing upright on her own two feet. "Um…thanks, Dick."

Nix strolled over, breaking the silence that had settled between them. He laughed, looking at Roseanna. "Gee, Roseanna. Been over-indulging on my Christmas present?"

Dick, who had kept his gaze fixed on her, suddenly broke it off, looking at Nix as he mentioned _Christmas gift_. "What gift?"

"Oh," she piped up, finding her voice again. "Nix gave me a bottle of VAT 69."

Dick's eyes widened as he shot Lew a look. "You have her alcohol?!"

Nix smiled, holding up his hands innocently. "I didn't _make_ her drink it."

"It's not his fault at all," she protested, defending Nix. She put a hand to her forehead, swooning slightly, suddenly feeling a little bit ill. The mix of alcohol and performance adrenaline clearly didn't mix well. "The trouble is…I've never actually drunk straight whiskey before and…the whole room is beginning to spin a little."

Dick shot Lew an annoyed look, putting a hand gently but firmly on her back. "We should get you some air, Roseanna. Come on, I'll take you outside."

As he began to lead her up the stairs, Nix pulled him back gently by the sleeve, giving him a playful dig in the ribs. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

………………………

"Okay, why don't you take a seat right…here," Dick said, helping her sit down on a bench just outside of the church, slightly out of the way of the hubbub of noise.

The air was instantly welcome and she began to feel better almost as soon as she sat down. Looking over at Dick, who had sat down next to her, out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly felt mortified and covered her face with her hands. "I'm so sorry for drinking a little too much! I'm so embarrassed. I feel much better now, though. I think it was just the excitement of singing…"

He laughed. "You don't have to apologise to me, Roseanna."

She continued. "I just didn't realise I'd be so intolerant to straight whiskey."

"Who knew, huh?" he joked sarcastically, smiling affectionately at her embarrassed, flushed, red cheeks.

Taking a deep breath as he leaned back against the wall, he flicked off some snowflakes that had just landed on his sleeve. "Why didn't you mention that you'd been singing in there?"

_Uh oh_, she thought, time to face the music. "I thought you'd be angry if you knew. You seemed pretty insistent that I shouldn't go in there."

"Really, that's why you didn't tell me?" He let out a laugh. "Roseanna, I only said that because I didn't think you could handle what you'd see in there. It's pretty gory, with the blood and injuries."

"Oh," she joked. "Thanks for having confidence in me!"

"I didn't mean it like that, you know that," he said, correcting himself. "I was just looking out for you."

"I know," she nodded gratefully, gushing at the sentiment. She didn't think that, in her whole life, she'd had somebody admit to wanting to look out for her.

"I think it was good of you though," he commended her, looking away shyly as he complimented her. "It really cheered them up. I've never seen such animated, injured soldiers!"

"Thank you," she said. She began to shiver. She couldn't be sure whether it was from the cold (as she hadn't had time to grab her jacket) or merely sitting next to Dick, who she was becoming increasingly attracted to.

Whatever the reason, he noticed that she was shivering. He stood up, standing in front of her. Chivalrously, he removed his own jacket and, bending over, wrapped it around her shoulders, tucking it under her chin. Their eyes met for a moment, before he looked away. Chuckling, he suddenly brought his hand up to her hair, gently pulling out the piece of mistletoe from behind her ear and sitting back down, rolling the stem between his thumb and forefinger. "Mistletoe, huh?"

"Observant," she joked, flashing him a jokey smile.

"I saw this in your hair earlier. I thought you'd just fallen into a hedgerow or something," he joked back, holding up his hands to show that he was only kidding. "But now that I see it's mistletoe…I'm thinking now that maybe it's dangerous to let you roam freely amongst those poor, bedridden men."

"In case I pounce?" She joked further. "Oh, Dick you think so little of me. I'm offended. I confiscated it off of Skinny earlier- no idea how he got hold of it, though. Besides, most of the fellas in there have sweethearts waiting for them back home. A very loyal bunch of men."

He raised his eyes, interested by her information.

Unable to control her movement, she slid a tiny bit closer towards him on the bench. "Speaking of sweethearts…what's your story? If that's not too personal a question, that is."

"It's not," he shook his head, but blushing all the same.

"Married?"

"No, I'm not," he said, holding up his hand to show her that he wasn't wearing a wedding band.

"Sweetheart back home?"

He paused for a moment, then tensely shook his head. "No."

"Oh," she said, not really knowing what to say next.

He tried to turn the conversation back on her, reaching over and pulling the jacket tighter around her neck, making sure no cold was getting in. "What about you, then? I bet you have hundreds of men fawning over you back home, probably young, rich actors too."

"You think I'm the kind of girl to entertain hundreds of suitors?" She asked, holding a hand up to her chest in mock offence. "Actually, no. I don't have anyone waiting for me back home. I don't get approached often, actually. Maybe men are too intimidated because of who my father is."

Dick rolled his eyes, smiling over at her. "I find that hard to believe- a pretty, charming girl like you…famous to boot."

She paused, her stomach filling once again with butterflies. Had he just admitted to having feelings for her? Slowly, she turned round to face him better. "You really think that about me?"

He squirmed, realising what he'd just revealed. He tried to dodge her question. "Of course I think you're famous. Everyone knows who you are."

She shook her head. "No, no. Not that part. You think I'm pretty?"

He squirmed even more in his chair, playing with his hands as his cheeks reddened. He looked her nervously in the eye. "You know you're a very beautiful woman, Roseanna."

She thought that this was unmistakeably an admission of his affection. Spurred on by this, and possibly the alcohol, she moved in closer, placing a hand on his upper arm. "Did you have a crush on me Dick? When you used to listen to my music?"

By this point, he seemed so nervous that he could barely look her in the eye, but when he finally did it was as though electricity sparked and crackled between them. "I thought you were very beautiful, yes."

At this point their noses were just inches apart, eyes locked too. Feeling full of butterflies but confident at the same time (confident butterflies!), she closed her eyes and tilted her head, slowly moving her head forward. She kept her eyes closed, her heart beating like a train in her chest until she finally felt the warmth and softness of his lips. At first it was just a soft peck, but then she moved back in and kissed him that little bit longer, her heart soaring as he kissed her back, letting a hand caress her cheek for a second. A second was all it was, too. Suddenly, without warning, he pulled back quickly.

"I can't do this," he said.

Her eyes sprang open in shock. She looked at him. By this point he had moved slightly further apart from her and looked awkwardly at the ground. She gulped, absolutely humiliated. Her mind was racing. "I'm sorry. I thought…I thought you wanted…."

He finally looked back over at her, holding up an apologetic hand. "I'm sorry, I can't do this."

Unable to stop herself, she juvenilely asked. "But…why not?"

"It's unprofessional," he stressed. "I'm here to do a job. I can't…be distracted. I'm sorry, Roseanna, I just…."

She held up a hand to stop him from saying anything else, her cheeks flushed crimson and a feeling of nausea rising within her. Quickly mumbling "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" over and over, she stood up, quickly pulling off his jacket and placing it back in his lap. Her head was spinning. She had to get out of her. Turning on her heel, she took off into the snowy streets, running back to her room in HQ as best as possible in her heels. As she ran, she could hear Dick shouting pleadingly for her to come back, but she kept on running….

…………………

Finally in the safety of her room, she shut the door and stood against it, using it to support herself as she took great, deep breaths. The events of the last few minutes replayed over and over in her head. How could she have been so stupid. She tried to step forward, but her heel caught in her dress again, sending her sprawling on the floor. Ignoring the pain that throbbed through her knee, she covered her face with her hands, muttering "stupid, stupid, stupid" over and over again. Had she misread the signals? She'd thought he genuinely wanted to kiss her. How would she ever be able to face him again after tonight?! With all of these thoughts reeling around inside of her half-inebriated mind, one single thought suddenly pushed itself to the forefront of all of them…tomorrow she would be spending Christmas Day in the Ardennes with him and Easy company. She clamped a hand over her mouth at the thought. Shit.


	6. Chapter 6 putting on a front

_**Falling Star- Chapter 6**_

……………………………………

**Christmas Day, 1944- Bastogne**

Groaning, Roseanna awoke, her head heavy, and groggily opened one eye. She was barely awake a second before the memory of Dick pulling away from her flooded back to her. How could she have gotten it so wrong? A feeling of unease spread through her. She had such a bad, heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach that she felt like she'd swallowed a bowling ball. Glancing at the army wristwatch she'd found lying around HQ and hung off of her bedpost, she saw that it was only 6 a.m... _Merry Christmas_, she thought sarcastically to herself. Letting out a loud, exasperated groan she rolled over onto her side and willed herself back to sleep.

A few hours later she'd woken and managed to drag herself out of bed. Nursing a cup of strong, black coffee, she leaned against the window frame, staring out at Bastogne on this festive day. She watched the snowflakes falling rhythmically and softly from the white sky. _It certainly looks a lot like Christmas_, she thought to herself as they fell, but the sight of army personnel running around their daily tasks as usual made it seem like the day wasn't different to any other. She sighed, Christmas here in this place couldn't have been more opposite to the traditional, Iowan Christmas that she should have been having. She thought about the real stockings over the fireplace, Grandma's own farm-reared turkey with all the trimmings, walking the dogs in the snow after Christmas dinner and then back for charades and carols around the fireplace. Best of all, being her mother's parents, it was the one place that she could go where people weren't constantly asking her about Lola. Instead of enjoying that idyllic-sounding Christmas, she was _here_. Here feeling like a fool because she'd tried to kiss a Captain who didn't want to be kissed. Ah Dick, that thought brought it all flooding back to her. She sighed, knowing that she had to face up to this. Slumping down on her bed, she tried to think rationally about what she was going to do, how she was going to get through this day in the forest with all of the humiliation inside her. She decided the best thing to do was to just put on a brave face, act as if nothing was wrong…and sweep it all under the rug. _I'm good at putting on a happy front_, she thought to herself, _I've had enough practice_.

Looking at her wristwatch, she decided that she'd better get a move on. Naturally, she should make sure to look her absolute best for the day. Firstly because it would be a treat for the women-deprived soldiers at Christmas and, secondly, she had to admit to herself that even a tiny little bit of her wanted to make sure she looked amazing to show Dick what he was missing. With this in mind, naturally, her make-up bag was immediately called upon. When she was happy with her face and hair, her curls hanging loose around her shoulders, she pulled out a long, emerald green dress from her large travelling bag. Shaking her head, she decided against it. She knew how could it would be. Instead she opted for a pair of black, figure-hugging trousers and her favourite woolly jumper. She'd be wearing her large jacket all day anyway, as long as the face looked good, who cared about the clothes.

As she gave her face one last touch up in the mirror, a timid knock sounded on the door.

"Yes?" She called out.

"Ma'am," came the quiet, timid reply of an orderly with a Tennessee twang. "Excuse my interruption but Colonel Sink is preparing to be driven out to the line and he ordered me to tell you that if you still want to come then you should, pardon my French ma'am, move your ass."

She rolled her eyes. "Tell Colonel Sink to wait a minute."

"All due respect ma'am, but I can't tell him that…,"

"Why not?"

"Not sure I'm brave enough, ma'am,"

"Okay, okay," she sighed, throwing on her coat and scarf and reaching for her handbag. "I'm coming, I'm coming."

She followed the orderly outside, where a jeep was waiting with Colonel Sink already seated, with several personnel fussing around it, loading boxes into the back. The Colonel turned to stare at her as she approached, as did several of the others. One sniggered quietly.

"Merry Christmas, Miss Caine," the Colonel boomed at her, regarding her with a cocked eye for a moment before adding. "Don't you look nice. That's a nice hairstyle you've done there."

"Why thank you," she said, swishing her coat hem jokingly.

He picked up regulation army helmet from the seat next to him and thrust it in her general direction. "Shame it'll get messed up when you put this on."

She looked at it blankly for a moment before letting out a little laugh. "Colonel, I spent too long on my hair this morning to make it go flat by putting _that_ over my head."

"Don't say I didn't warn you," the Colonel said, making her taking it anyway. "Take it anyway."

"Okay, Colonel," She said, hopping on the truck as it set in motion. She put it on her lap, shocked at how heavy it was.

………………………………….

The drive out into the forest was lengthy and bumpy, and as the foliage grew more vast around her eye-line she began to feel more hollow in the pit of her stomach, and flinched with every gunshot she heard far off in the distance. _Pull yourself together_, she scolded herself. Suddenly the truck came to a halt amidst a thicket of close trees. She furrowed her brow, looking around. She couldn't see or hear anything.

Sink turned around from the front seat to look at her. "Wait here a moment, Miss Caine. I have something I want to read out to the men first and I want to have their full, undivided attention…something I wont have with you there, I'm afraid. Just sit tight for a second and I'll come back and get you when I'm done."

"Okay," she nodded understandingly at the Colonel, repeating without thinking. "I'll stay here."

He motioned for the other soldiers in the van to follow him. "Men."

They trudged off until she could no longer hear their footsteps. Suddenly she was all alone in this forest. Slightly unnerved both at being alone and seeing Dick again, she hummed a Christmas jingle quietly to herself. She felt the cold seeping into her bones and her teeth began to chatter, it seemed to be colder out here than in Bastogne. _Stupid_, she thought to herself, _there's no shelter here._ Suddenly in the distance she heard Sink's voice booming out. She frowned. Did he just say "NUTS"? She made out the sound of men's laughter in the distance. It made her stomach lurch. Was Dick amongst the laughers? _No Roseanna_, she scolded herself, _you're going to act as though nothing happened, remember?_ Suddenly, she heard footsteps and Sink's face appeared from behind a bench. He motioned for her to follow him. Nervously pulling herself from the jeep, she followed him through the thicket of trees for a few minutes. Her heart was beating like a train. Eventually she began to make out shapes in the distances, helmet-clad shapes. Eventually they got close enough that she could see them and they could see her. The whispered chattering began almost immediately.

"Well, I'll be damned," Bill Guarnere whistled lightly as he saw the woman approaching. He alerted the soldiers who were still unaware of her presence. "Hey, fellas!"

"Is she my Christmas present?" Perco leaned towards Johnny Martin and whispered in his ear.

The excited chattering of his men roused Dick's attention, who'd been quietly staring out into the forest, observing, preoccupied. Wrapping his arms tighter around himself against the cold, he slowly turned round. He had to blink once to make sure the cold hadn't affected him so much so that his eyes were playing tricks on him. No. It was definitely Roseanna merely feet away from him. He just looked at her.

Shit, she mentally kicked herself. She'd been there a mere 30 seconds and she'd already made eye contact with him. Her stomach lurched. She forced herself to plaster a big grin on her place, smiling at the soldiers who were by now staring at her, awestruck.

Colonel Sink piped up. "I told you all I had a Christmas treat for you. As y'all have probably heard by now, Miss Caine here is has ended up in Bastogne. Yes, the rumours are true. Now it was her personal request that she be allowed to come here today to cheer everyone up on Christmas Day so I'll be leaving her in your company for a couple of hours."

Light cheers whooped around the camp.

As Sink turned to leave, Dick moved quickly to catch up to him. "Sir, are you sure this is a good idea?"

"It was her own decision, Dick," Sink replied. "She near-begged me."

"She did?" Dick frowned. "When, today?"

"Couple days ago," Sink said, trudging on in the snow back towards the jeep. Suddenly he stopped and turned back. "Keep an eye, Dick."

Dick shivered against the cold as he watched the Colonel leave. "Will do, Sir."

He couldn't believe it. Turning back into camp, he saw that she had already been engulfed from view by a group of the men, excited to chat to their new guest.

"Are you going to sing for us?" a Private asked her excitedly.

"Did you bring any food with you?" another piped up. "I'm so hungry!"

"No, I…," she began, feeling that her private space was being a little invaded by these excited Privates.

"How did you get here?" Another Private fired at her. "Are you staying?"

It was a bit much for her. She tried to smile enthusiastically but she was beginning to feel a little claustrophobic.

"Did you bring Lola with you?" A heavily bearded Private asked.

"Unfortunately not," A familiar voice said, reaching a hand into the circle and yanking her out.

"George," Her face genuinely lit up at the sight of a familiar face. Free from the circle, she took a deep breath. "Thanks for the rescue."

"Thought you could use a hand," he gave her hand a quick squeeze. "It's good to see you again. You're just full of surprises aren't ya, showin' up here?"

"Something like that?" She said, looking nervously over at the Privates who were eyeing her excitedly. She raised a concerned eyebrow at George. "Get me out of here?"

He laughed, putting a hand on her shoulder and pointing to a small group of soldiers sitting in a circle. "Come on, follow me. I'll introduce you to some more subdued soldiers. They won't go crazy when they see you cos…-"

"Let me guess," she rolled her eyes as he led her over to them. "Because they're Lola fans, right?"

"Well, I was going to say that it's because they have more maturity," George chuckled, joking. "But now you mention it…."

She hit him playfully on the shoulder as they approached the little group huddled in a circle, clutching their tin meal cans in their hands for the heat. They looked up at her as they approached, offering her toothy grins. "Hi, fellas."

"Miss Caine, Merry Christmas" a small chorus sounded, accompanied by polite smiles and nods.

"Okay," George clapped his hands together and dropped down into an empty space in the circle, motioning for her to sit next to him. "Come on, Bull. Move that big butt so the lady can sit down.

She gingerly took a seat on the ground. "Thank you. And Merry Christmas to you all, too."

"Ok, introductions," George said, motioning at the men around the circle. "This is Bill Guarnere or _Gonorrhoea_, don't get him mad. This is Heffron, or _Babe_, he's a pretty new replacement but he seems to have wormed his way into the inner fold, prob'ly cos he's from Philly like Bill."

"Oh," she looked over at Bill and Babe, interested. "My dad's from Philadelphia."

"I know," they both replied accidentally in unison, looking at each other amusedly and smiling at her.

"Yeah, I suppose you would," she laughed, quietly.

"Anyway," George continued. "This is Malarkey, you'll never miss him in the snow with his colour of hair. Perco here, on the other hand, you _might_ easily lose in the snow…"

"Small in stature," Perco shot back. "But big in every other way!"

"You wish," George joked, continuing. "This is Liebgott, Skip, Bull and Johnny Martin. Fellas, I don't know if you know my friend here…Roseanna Caine? Prob'ly don't know her…"

"You're a regular riot, Luz," Martin rolled his eyes, folding his arms and nodding politely at her. "Nice to meet you, Miss Caine. My wife's a big fan."

"Oh, thank you," she said, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed. This was a the most intimate meet-and-greet she'd ever had.

"Would you sign something for her?" He asked, chancing his arm.

"Oh, Sure," she said, rootling around her bag for a pen but coming up with nothing. "Sorry, I don't have a pen, but when I get back to HQ I'll write her a note and get it back out to you."

"Much obliged," Martin took a spoonful from his cup.

"I guess you and Vest really weren't lyin' then huh," Liebgott remarked, looking Roseanna up and down.

"Told you, Lieb," George looked at Roseanna and shrugged his shoulders exasperatedly. "No one believed I met you."

"So much for keeping quiet like Dick asked you to," she joked, then realised the looks she got at using the word _Dick_ instead of Captain Winters. "I mean Captain Winters."

"So, you ended up out here in the Ardennes," Bull drawled at her. "That's unfortunate luck, ma'am."

"Yeah, I suppose this is nothin' like what you're used to back home," Malarkey mused, joking. "I've been to Bastogne, there's no Ritz Hotel there."

"I know, I couldn't believe it," she said sarcastically. "It's the first thing I checked out when I got there."

They laughed.

"I've actually been used to roughing it these past few months, well when I say roughing it I mean living a little less extravagantly," she told them, trying to sound impressive but grimaced as she realised it just made her sound spoiled.

"No disrespect, ma'am," Hefrron cut in. "But I find that very hard to believe."

"No it's true," she nodded her head indignantly. "Since I joined the USO, we sleep in the jeeps most night whilst we're travelling to the next location."

"That reminds me," Perco said, flashing her a charming smile. "I loved your USO performance in Mourmelon that night. You looked beautiful when you sang _You'll Always Have My Heart._"

The others around him coughed uncomfortably as she shook her head at him, correcting him. "That was actually Lola who sang that."

"Oh," Perco squirmed. "Well, what I meant was…."

"It's okay," she gave him a smile and held up a hand to show no hard feelings. "George tells me most of you prefer Lola anyway."

Some of them looked down, others gave her bashful smiles.

"Well, I never choose favourites," Malarkey said, putting a hand over his chest, a humble facial expression.

"Yeah, you'd have em both," Liebgott joked.

George stifled a laugh, but held up a hand to Liebgott. "Lieb, please. Don't lower the tone."

Suddenly a gush of wind blew and she screwed up her nose. "Dear Lord, I just got whiff of what's in those tin cups. What is that?"

"Joe Domingus's beans," Bill laughed.

"They smell…" she didn't finish the sentence, just screwed up her nose.

"Yeah, welcome to our world," Martin rolled his eyes, laughing.

"I_ am_ hungry, though," she bit her lip, almost looking longingly at the cup in George's hand.

"Come on then," Bill said, standing up and motioning for her to join him. "Let's go see if Joe's got any left."

"Okay," she took the hand that he extended to help pull her to her feet.

As they walked along her teeth chattered. "Honestly Bill, how do you blot out the cold here? You don't seem to be shivering at all."

He laughed. "It's called having a good imagination. In my head right now I've got a dozen hot water bottles stuffed up and down my clothes."

They approached Joe Domingus, who was tending to a large pot.

"Hey Joe," Bill said, slapping the cook amicably on the back to get his attention. "Can you set Miss Caine here up with some chow?"

"Sure," he replied, fumbling around for an unused tin.

"Thanks Bill," she turned to the soldier. "I'll come back and join you when I get some."

"Alright," he winked at her. He turned back, putting a hand on her arm. "Oh and by the way, Miss Caine, just so you know…I was never a Lola fan. I prefer brunettes to blondes."

"That's…good to know," she said, blushing slightly as she watched him walk away.

As she waited for Joe to serve up her beans, she felt a presence behind her. She turned round face to face with a tall, handsome dark-haired soldier with movie-star good looks. She exhaled loudly in surprise.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am," he flashed her a smile. "I didn't mean to disturb you."

"That's alright. I'm just waiting on my beans," she said, then reddened. What a stupid thing to say.

He laughed, screwing up his nose. "I'd recommend going hungry rather than eating those."

"Hey, I'm right here you know," Joe shot back from two feet away. He handed Roseanna a tin cup. "Enjoy."

"Thanks," She took the cup, immediately enjoying the warmth between her hands. She began to walk a few steps back, but the handsome soldier followed her.

"I'm Floyd, by the way. Floyd Talbert," he introduced himself, offering a hand. "I'm a big fan of your music, ma'am."

"Thank you so much, Floyd," she blushed, offering him her hand which he held and lightly kissed. "My, my, such a gentleman."

"We're a rare breed," he joked.

Bill rejoined the group of soldiers, dropping back down into his spot. "What's the word, fellas?"

"Makin' a move there, Bill," Babe dug Bill in ribs. "Fancy your chances?"

"Hey, whaddya take me for?" He flashed Babe a devilish grin.

"You don't stand a chance, Bill," Perco pointed back over to Roseanna. "You made the grave mistake of leaving her alone with Floyd."

"Shit," Bill said, laughing. "The dream's over."

"Okay," Liebgott rubbed his hands together. "Who wants to make a wager? Can Floyd score with a starlet?"

"Nah," Bull shook his head. "She'll see right through him."

"I don't know," Malarkey shook his head. "Don't underestimate Tab. I'll put a buck on Tab."

Babe laughed, but then studied the two talking in the distance. He looked back, resolved. "Yeah, I'll put a buck on Tab, too."

"Well it was nice to meet you, Floyd," Roseanna said, making motions to rejoin the others. "I'll maybe see you a little later."

"Count on it," he nodded flirtaciously at her as she walked off.

No sooner had she begun to walk back when a hand reached out and took her sleeve. She looked up and straight into Dick's face. Her stomach divebombed.

"Hi," he said, softly, searching her eyes.

"Afternoon, Dick," she said, looking at the ground, but then remembering her promise to herself and forcing herself to look up into his eyes. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," he said, distractedly. He motioned to a small hut in the distance. "Can we talk?"

"Uh…," her stomach flipped again. "Uh…sure, okay."

He led her over into the small hut, which was empty save for an orderly who Dick promptly asked to make himself scarce for a moment. He motioned for Roseanna to take a seat, which she did gingerly.

"How have you been?" He asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"Fine…you?" she asked, trying to put as much steely resolve into her voice as she could.

"Fine…," he replied. Another silence settled between them, both looking anywhere but at each other. "Look, about last night…."

She held up a hand. "It's fine, Dick. It's really not an issue."

"Isn't it?" he asked, taken aback.

"No," she shook her head firmly, trying not to show the embarrassment that coursed through her body. "I'd been drinking and…it just happened."

"Oh," he looked down. Could she see a hint of sadness in his eyes? "Because, when I pulled back, I just…."

She held up a hand again, not enjoying this conversation at all. "Let's just forget it and move on. I think we'll get on much better if we just pretend that it never happened."

He said nothing for a moment, just looked at the floor. Suddenly he seemed to pull himself together and stood up to face her. "Well if you're sure…okay."

She felt sad that he hadn't tried to fight for her. She supposed that meant he really had no feelings for her. Still, she put a smile on her face. "Fabulous. Then it's forgotten. Shake on it?"

He took her hand gently, both holding on for a little longer than actually required. She had to force herself to release her hand, taking a step back and clasping both hands in front of her, defensively.

"Alright then, I'll leave you be," she said, abruptly leaving the tent.

He stared after her, sadly.

……………………………

An hour later, she was sitting back down with the Easy Soldiers. She tried to shove that painful conversation to the back of her mind. He wasn't interested and she really had just made a fool of herself. She knew she just had to pull herself together and move on. The Easy Soldiers, on that end, really helped. She really liked these men. She'd never met such down-to-earth men and she wasn't sure if it was because they were soldiers who were used to reality, but she couldn't have met any less starstruck people if she tried. It was like she was just a normal girl. She liked the freedom of that.

"So," Perco said, banging his boot off of the ground to shake the snow off of it. "You've met a lot of famous people right, excludin' your dad and sister."

"_Stepsister_," she corrected. "But yes, I suppose."

"You met Marlene Dietrich?" Malarkey asked.

"No," her eyes lit up. "I wish, though. She's my idol!"

"Go on then," Bill said, puffing on his cigarette. "Who've you met?"

"um…," she thought, racking her brain for the most famous person she'd met. "I was at a party with Rita Hayworth once."

"Ahhh," Luz sighed longingly. "The future Mrs Luz…she just doesn't know it yet."

Roseanna looked at him, sympathetically, laughing. "And she probably never will."

"Harsh," George lit a cigarette. "Real harsh."

Bull leant forward, looking at her intently, butting in and changing the subject entirely. "Somethin' I been wonderin'."

She looked at him a little nervously, he was an intimidating, big man. "What's that, Bull?"

"How'd it come to be that you got on the wrong truck out here?" He looked at her, confused, sucking on his cigar. "How'd you do that?"

"Oh," she said, thinking, remembering. "Well I remember that night was chaos. You were all preparing to move out here and there were people rushing about everywhere and at least a dozen, if not more, trucks that all looked the same. And then Lola…LOLA."

They all looked at each other, alarmed by her outburst.

"You okay?" George raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah," she said, clearly not. She'd been so in shock in adapting to her new surroundings that she'd never really thought about WHY exactly she was here. Suddenly it came flooding back to her…LOLA telling her to get on that truck. Did she do that on purpose. Anger flared up inside of Roseanna. Had she done it on purpose? Quickly, she calmed herself down. She would vent her frustrations later, along with her Dick frustrations. She forced herself to smile. "I'm fine."

Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she whipped her head round to find Floyd staring back at her charmingly. "Hi Floyd."

"Hello again," he smiled at her. "I was wondering if you'd like to take a walk with me?"

"Umm…," she looked around, noticing a slightly warning look coming from Bill's face. Just beyond that though, she could see Dick in his hut, staring right at her. It made her slightly angry. She turned around and offered a hand to Floyd. "Sure."

Floyd led her over to a nearby log and motioned to her to sit down. She cocked and eyebrow at him. "I thought you said you wanted to go for a walk?"

"Changed my mind," he smiled bashfully, taking a seat next to her. "As a soldier I spend a lot of time on my feet. Gotta sit when the opportunity presents itself."

"Hmm," she said, unable to stop herself melting into his eyes. He was just too damn attractive. "I suppose I can see the logic in that."

"I'm so glad that I got to meet you today," he said, looking deep into her eyes. "I'm such a fan."

"You already said that," she teased.

"Oh, did I?" he slapped a hand jokingly to his cheek. "Guess I just _really _meant it then."

She laughed.

"No really," he nodded his head insistently. "I used to skip math last period on Fridays so that I could get home early to catch your radio show."

"Every Friday?" she looked at him accusingly.

"_Every_ Friday," he repeated, almost proudly.

"Wow," she said, laughing. "So…you failed math then, I take it."

"Weeelllll," he pursed his lips. "Yeah. But it was worth it though…who needs math anyways?"

"Aww," she shook her hand, looking down. "I feel guilty now for making you fail class."

"And so you should," he joked, chucking her under the chin. "You're forever indebted to me."

She burst out laughing.

……………………..

From inside the privacy of the hut, Dick watched Tab and Roseanna like a hawk, disconcerted that it felt like his blood was boiling. He couldn't mistake what he was feeling- pure jealousy. He knew that Tab had a reputation as a flirt and he knew how many conquests the soldier had had from England and Holland…but this time it bothered him.

"Dick…" Nix said from behind, coming into the hut.

Dick said nothing, just kept his watchful eye on the two.

"_Hello_, Dick…," Nix repeated, louder. No response. He walked up to his buddy, snapping his fingers in front of him. "Earth to…"

"What?" Dick asked, snapping out of it and looking at Nix.

Nix looked out at what his friend had been looking at, seeing Roseanna and Floyd Talbert sitting pretty close on a chopped-down log. "Ahh, I see. Green-eyed monster got hold of you there, Dick?"

"What are you talking about?" Dick tutted, slumping down in a chair and pretending to look over some maps that had been spread out nearby.

"You've been watching her since she got here, Dick," Nix laughed. "Should be careful. I know I'm the intelligence officer here, but it's pretty damn obvious to everyone, I'd wager."

"I just promised Sink I'd keep an eye," Dick said, trying to be nonchalant but he was visibly bothered.

Nix frowned at him, walking over and sitting across from him. "What's wrong with you?"

Dick sighed, needing to get it off of his chest. "Roseanna tried to kiss me last night."

Nix whistled, impressed. "Way to go, Dick."

"I pulled away," he looked at the ground.

"Why?" Nix asked, confused. "You _do_ like her, don't you? Or am I not as observant as I like to think I am?"

"It's all irrelevant," he replied, trying to remain professional. "I can't get sidetracked with things like that, not here…."

"Noble," Nix rolled his eyes, patting Dick on the shoulder. "Everyone deserves a little recreational fun, Dick. Especially us soldiers….and if I were you I'd act fast. Tab's a hard one to compete with."

Dick sighed, squeezing his shoulder to try and relieve the tension that had built up there. He didn't know what to do. Looking up, he squinted at you. "This is all your fault, you know."

Nix pointed to himself, his mouth agape. "What'd I do?"

"If you hadn't given her VAT 69 in the first place then we wouldn't have ended up kissing and I wouldn't be in this situation," Dick moaned.

"Hey," Nix warned, amused. "I'll say it again- I didn't force her to drink it. Besides, I thought you said you pulled back."

"Well," Dick blushed. "We kissed for a second or two."

Nix looked at him, impressed. "Was it nice?"

"Really nice."


	7. Chapter 7 Christmas Day, continued

**Falling Star Chapter 7- Christmas Day, continued…**

………………………….

Roseanna had been sitting with Tab for the last thirty minutes, listening to him regale her with stories about Easy Company's time in Europe thus far. She was genuinely captivated by him, this charming sergeant of Easy.

"Fair enough Market Garden failed, but that day we landed in Eindhoven was one of the most incredible ever. The locals were so happy to see us and the celebrations were out of this world. Orange banners everywhere, confetti…they really made us feel welcome,"

"That must have been incredible," she put a hand under her chin to support it as she looked intently into his eyes, mesmerised by his stories. "I'll bet they were so happy to see you, having been under occupation for so long."

"Absolutely," he nodded. "It was really good to meet the local people."

"Were they friendly?"

He squirmed in his seat, coughing slightly. "_Very_ friendly."

Roseanna sighed, stretching her arms out in front of her. As she did, she noticed that a lot of the men were staring at the two of them sitting together. She received a few cheeky winks as she made eye contact. It made her feel instantly uneasy. This probably didn't look very good. She turned back to him. "Well, I should get going. Don't want the other men to get jealous if they see me giving you too much attention."

He put a heart over his chest and laughed. "Aw, you're breakin' my heart leaving like this, but okay…."

She offered him a hand. "It was a pleasure chatting to you, Sergeant Talbert."

"The pleasure…," he took her hand, kissing it. "…was all mine."

Unable to think of anything to reply, she giggled light-headedly as she padded through the snow. She spotted Luz up ahead sitting round the edges of a foxhole with Bill, Perco, Heffron, Martin and… someone she hadn't been introduced to yet. Walking up to then, she dropped down onto an unoccupied space in the circle. I'm back."

She looked back at the wide-toothed grins staring back at her.

"…what?" she asked, nervously.

"No escape now," George laughed, digging her in the ribs. "You've just become Tab's next target."

"His _tab_get…geddit," Perco said, bursting into a fit of laughter at his own joke.

George stared blankly at him, unimpressed. He pointed to the man in the circle she didn't know. "This is Skip."

"Nice to meet you. It's not like that," she brushed it off instantly, not wanting anyone to get the wrong impression. "He was just being friendly."

"Floyd's _friendly_ alright," Martin laughed, looking over at the amorous soldier in the distance, looking pretty pleased with himself.

Guarnere, sitting next to her, took the opportunity of the others chatting amongst themselves to lean into her, whispering into her ear. "Seriously, be careful. Tab's a good buddy of mine…but he's a flirt with a wandering eye."

"I'll bear that in mind," she smiled dryly at him, putting an appreciative hand on his arm. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Eugene squatting by a tree, staring off into the distance, a tin cup of food hanging from the crook of his index finger. She waved at him to get his attention. "Hey, Eugene!"

Eugene didn't reply, didn't even acknowledge her, just kept staring out into the forest at nothing in particular.

"Doc don't talk much," George said, taking a puff of his cigarette.

"Really?" She asked., furrowing her brow at him. She hadn't gotten that impression of him.

"So why'd you and your sister stop singing together?" Perco asked, taking her attention away from Eugene. "_Stepsister_, sorry…"

"Um…I went to college for a year," she explained, turning to face him.

"What?!" He raised his eyes, incredulously. "Why?!"

"…I wanted to learn," she said flatly, not understanding why he was so surprised.

"Can you believe that?" Perco looked round at the others. "Why would you want to give up being famous and rubbin' shoulders with all those other stars to go to college with a lot of old regular Joes?"

"You know, being in the public eye isn't all it's cracked up to be, Perconte," she held her hands up in protest. "Sure, I mean it's great performing and, don't get me wrong, there's no bigger rush than being applauded in auditoriums by thousands of people but, as for the rest of it…. Imagine never knowing who to trust, trying to decipher whether someone really wants to be your friend or they just want to know you for the family name _Caine_, or having to put on a happy face every day cos America isn't ready to have a famous unhappy family."

As she ranted, the foxhole became eerily quiet. She frowned. "I just dampened the mood, didn't I?"

"Little bit," Martin offered her a little smile.

"Yeah!" George said indignantly, laughing. "Now you have to compensate by telling us stories about Lola."

She laughed, rolling her eyes at the thought of discussing that witch. Suddenly her eyes lit up. "Say, I have a story for you. Lola once tried to put the moves on a certain Robert Taylor."

"The guy from _Johnny Eager_?" Babe piped up.

"The very one," she nodded at him. "He was a guest at my father's annual summer garden party at his mansion in California. He was completely horrified because he's married to Barbara Stanwyck, of course. He just looked at her and said _Kid, I don't know what my wife would say about that._"

They burst out laughing.

"No way in hell would I reject her," George mused.

"Yeah, me neither," Perco agreed, shaking his head fervently.

Roseanna felt a hand touch her shoulder. She craned her neck round to see Private Vest. She stood up, happy to see him. "Allen!"

"Good to see you again, Miss Caine," he smiled bashfully at her. "Merry Christmas."

"And to you. What do you have there?" she asked, looking out at the envelope he held in his hand.

"It's for you, came the other day but I didn't get a chance to get it to you before now," he said, apologetically.

"For me?" she said, taking it from his hand. Looking at the handwriting on the front, she knew straight away that it was from Annie, her and Lolas' personal assistant. She put it into her bag with a view to reading it later. "Thanks Vest."

She sat down again in the foxhole but no sooner had she done so when she felt another hand on her shoulder. This time she turned round to be staring face to face…with Dick. "oh…"

He looked down at the ground for a moment before looking back up into her eyes. "Colonel Sink's orderly has come to drive you back into town."

"Oh," she said, standing up. As she did, the rest of the men in the foxhole stood up too. As word got round that she was leaving, a soldier ran up to her brandishing a camera and a slightly different uniform from the other. She recognised the insignia on it instantly. He was from the War Advertising Council.

"Mind if I take a picture before you go?" He asked, flashing her a smile.

She assumed that most probably he had been sent out to get pictures that could be used in advertising, for war bonds most likely. Still, she had no problem with a picture being taken and, secretly, would have liked to remember the day that she'd met these men. Nodding at him, he directed the soldiers around her, everyone beaming at the camera as the bright flash went off. _And one more._

"Thanks ma'am," he smiled appreciatively at her before slinking off into the distance.

"Well," she slapped her hands off of her sied, sighing. "I suppose this is goodbye for now, Easy Company."

She sadly said her goodbyes to everyone, with special amicable hugs for Luz, Perco, Guarnere, Nix, Heffron, Bull, Liebgott, Skip and a handshake for Martin, who had a wife, after all. As she turned to leave, Tab broke through amongst the crowd. "Leaving so soon?"

"Unfortunately," she smiled at him.

"Well in that kiss," he took her hand, kissing it a final time, generating whoops and cheers from the men. "It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Well, isn't he a charmer," she clucked her tongue at the crowd, ever the performer. She took her hand back, feeling her cheeks reddening slightly. However, that was nothing compared to the butterflies that flooded her stomach when Dick put a hand on her shoulder. Waving her final goodbyes, she let him lead her towards the truck that she could see parked in the distance.

They walked in stony silence at first, until Dick finally piped up. "Have you had a good day?"

She nodded, merely reply. "Yes."

He stopped a couple of yards from the truck. "Well, here we are."

"Yeah, here we are," she said, looking at the ground. A tension hung between them, as though something needed to be said. Eventually she decided it wasn't going to happen and made her turn towards the truck. Damn it, she wanted to turn round and apologise for the way she'd acted today, telling him that she wasn't sorry for trying to kiss him, that she got goosebumps every time she was near him. "Dick, I…"

"Yes?" He looked up at her, their eyes catching.

She lost her nerve. "Merry Christmas."

………………………………………

Back in the "safety" of her room, she slumped onto her bed. She had such mixed feelings about the day. On one hand she'd met these amazing, funny, friendly men, and the handsome Tab too. On the other hand, it had made her feel even worse about her situation with Dick, assuring her, unfortunately, that he felt nothing for her. Putting her pillow over her head to shut out the light, she suddenly remembered the letter that she had in her bag. Quickly she reached for it, admiring Annie's meticulous handwriting on the front and the Californian postmark. She ran her fingers over the slightly bashed envelope. As happy as she was to hear from her friend, she couldn't help feeling a little hurt that her first piece of correspondence since being trapped in this warzone hadn't come from her own father. She flipped the envelope over, ripping it open:

_Dear Roseanna,_

_We miss you so much. I'm so, so, so sorry about this mix up that has left you where you are right now. I feel so incredibly guilty. I know how much you were looking forward to Christmas with your grandparents. I can only hope that all of the troops out there are making you feel as at home as possible. Lola says to tell you how sorry she is. She is completely confused as to how this happened, especially, she tells me, as she made sure that she pointed you onto the right jeep that night. She asks if you still have her scarf, by the way. I wanted to tell her how unimportant that is…but, well, you know how she is. Your father is devastated, so much so that he was determined to cancel the annual Caine Family New Years Eve Party, but Lola has convinced him to go ahead with it, convincing him that it's what you would've wanted. I cleared your absence in Iowa with your grandparents. They're worried about you, understandably, but they've asked me to reassure you that they're thinking about you and that they love you. I hope you have as lovely a Christmas as possible, and I'm looking forward to seeing you soon (because I'm hopeful that it will be soon)._

_All my love,_

_Annie. _

_Life goes on_, she thought bitterly to herself. Lola had seen to that. She felt annoyed that Annie felt guilty when _she'd_ done nothing wrong. It was Lola's fault that she was here. Furthermore, she was absolutely positive that Lola had had a hand in making sure that Lola felt so guilty.

Stuffing the letter back into her head, Roseanna felt increasingly annoyed. She looked around disdainfully. She couldn't spend the rest of her Christmas Day sitting alone in her room like this. Sighing, she threw on her coat. She'd be better help in the hospital.

………………………………

As she went in, her heart went out to the patient, the majority of whom sat glumly in their makeshift cots. This must've been ten times a harder day for them than it was for her. She gave them affectionate pats as she bypassed them, some appreciatively squeezing her arm as she did so. "Chin up, boys."

She made her way to the back of the large hall, where Renée searched aimlessly through a large box. Roseanna knocked lightly on the doorframe, alerting her presence to the nurse. Renée smiled at her, pushing the box to one side and walking over to her. For the first time in their lives, the two girls embraced warmly.

"Merry Christmas," Roseanna said.

"And to you," Renée smiled, motioning for her to take a seat. When they were both seated, she leaned forward to her, intrigued. "Where did you go last night? I saw you leaving with that red-haired officer."

Roseanna frowned, reminded of the memory. "That was Dick."

"_He_ was Dick?" Renée raised her eyebrows. "So what happened?"

Roseanna shook her head and held up a hand. "It was awful. I had too much whiskey to drink…and I tried to kiss him."

"Tried?" Renée furrowed her brow. "He didn't kiss you back."

She looked down. "No, hence the embarrassment."

"That's horrible," Renée looked at her sympathetically, giving her knee a sympathetic pat.

"It _was_ horrible," she nodded her head. "Imagine how much more awful it was to have to spend the day out on the line with him after that."

"You were on the line?" Renée said, her interest piqued. "Did you see Eugene?"

"I did, actually," she smiled devilishly at the nurse. "He seemed a little pre-occupied, though. But more importantly, why do you want to know, huh? I thought you weren't interested."

"I'm not. Don't go thinking that again," Renée replied warningly before her face softened. "He's just seemed a little distracted recently. I suppose I'm a little worried about him.

Roseanna smiled sympathetically at her, moving across to sit on the same crate, putting a reassuring arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry. I'm sure that everything will be-"

BANG. She couldn't finish that sentence as a soldier suddenly burst in screaming for help, carrying a limp soldier in his arms who had blood spurting from his neck and from the entire length of his leg. "HELP! HELP!"

Renée sprang immediately into action, pushing some crates together to make a sort of table. "Put him here!"

The soldier placed the man carefully on top of it. Renée looked him over quickly, checking to find all of his cuts and bruises. Panicked, she began to get ratty. "There aren't even any doctors at the moment! Roseanna! You have to help!"

Roseanna's stomach lurch as she looked at the man on the crates, spurting blood all over the floor. "But…but…I'm not a nurse."

"I know that!" Renée yelled, looking over at her, her face red from the effort she'd already put in on this man. "But you're all I have right now so get over here!"

Roseanna couldn't move, she was rooted to the spot. She couldn't play a part I whether this man lived or died.

"ROSEANNA," Renée shouted again, stamping her foot off of the ground.

That tone did it. Roseanna lunged forward, her head spinning. "What do you need me to do?"

"I need you to stop that blood spurting from the artery in his neck whilst I tend to his leg," Renée rushed out her reply.

Roseanna looked at the blood spurting out of the gash from his neck, horrified. She looked up at the nurse with fear in her eyes. "I can't do that! I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't…"

"ROSEANNA! Shut up and look at me," Renée instructed, snapping the terrified starlet back to reality. "You can do this. Now."

Taking a deep gulp of air, Roseanna put her middle and index fingers into his neck, moving them around until the blood stopped gushing, squealing as she did so. Renée smiled to show that she was doing that right thing, then busily set about tending his leg.

…………………………………….

An hour later, after Renée had managed to clean up his leg and bandage his neck up enough to keep the soldier alive until a proper doctor showed up, which he did ten minutes earlier, Roseanna escaped up the stairs and back into the fresh air, standing just at the entrance to the church. She rested her head against the frame, taking deep breaths of air. That was the single scariest thing she'd been involved in since she'd arrived. A nearby hospital orderly noticed her anguish and offered her a cigarette which she politely declined.

"I thought I'd find you here," Renée said, appearing behind her from the stairs. She stood beside her, folding her arms against the cold. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she nodded, her voice still shaking. "Sorry I was flaky in there."

"That's alright, it's all new to you," Renée nodded, showing she understood. "You did very well though. You should be proud of yourself."

"I didn't really do anything," she shook her head, knowing the nurse was just being polite.

"Roseanna, if you hadn't held that man's artery for me, he would've bled to death before I'd had the chance to even attempt to help him, understand?" Renée reassured.

"Thanks," she smiled, realising just maybe she was right.

"Well feel good about yourself then," Renée warned, laughing.

Despite the fact the nurse was joking, Roseanna did actually feel vaguely proud of what she'd helped to do in there. Maybe that man would live now. She pushed a tendril of hair behind her hair and smiled at Renée. "You know, I think this Christmas Day hasn't actually turned out to be as bad as I…."

She didn't get to finish that sentence, her eyes alerted to the night sky by the sound of planes overhead. She stared at them at first, mesmerised as they flew over the town. So mesmerised was she that she didn't notice people starting to run around her in a blind panic. When she finally did take notice, her entire body pricked with goosebumps (the bad kind of goosebumps). She turned to Renée, panicked. "Are those American?!"

"No," Renée grabbed her arm, roughly, trying to pull her back into the building. "It's the Luftwaffe!"

"It can't be," Roseanna yelled, wanting so desperately not to believe it.

The sound of the first dropping bombs filled the night air with whizzing noises.

"Does that answer your question?" Renée yelled, pulling her arm even more roughly. "We have to move!"

Piercing screams filled the air as the German bombs began to take their evil action upon the population of Bastogne and the US army personnel. No matter how much the nurse pulled on her arm, Roseanna felt rooted to the spot, unable to take in the danger of it all. The dropping of the whizz bombs sounded like fireworks being sent up into the night sky…but these weren't fireworks. Suddenly, they became the targets of German rage as a bomb exploded to the side of the church, shattering the windows and a good chunk of the building, sending both girls flying back through the entrance. It was such an impact that it sent Roseanna flying all the way down the stairs into the main hospital base room. She could feel the pain of every single step that she rolled down. The whole way down the sounds of screams, whizzes, explosions and crying invaded her ears, until she made contact with the cold, hard ground, debris falling in tiny morsels around her. Everything went black.

……………………….


	8. Chapter 8 Bastogne Under Siege

**Falling Star- Chapter 8**

………………………………

Hiya, hope you're all enjoying the story so far. It's come to my attention that I've been a little historically inaccurate. The attack on Bastogne as depicted in BoB actually happened on Christmas Eve as opposed to Christmas Day, as I've written it. Sorry!!!! 

………………………………

When Roseanna came to, who knows how long later, she instantly felt pain coursing both through her head and on her right hip. Because it was close enough, she put a hand to her temple, rubbing it and immediately seeing blood stain her hand. She groaned, trying to fit the pieces together. Her head was so fuzzy. Slowly, she tried to wriggle her body, happy to find that she could still move. She definitely felt pain coursing through her hip, though. Pulling up her shirt, she could see bruising already forming there. Luckily, no blood though. Despite the initial silence, she suddenly became aware again of the sound of bombs whizzing down from the sky mixed in with anguished screams coming from outside. It came back to her: the bombs, the debris…Renée. Renée! Where was she? Roseanna began to gently, slowly twist her body from the rubble it was trapped beneath, gasping with the pain as debris came into contact with her hip. She made it onto her knees and tried to get a better view on the room which, naturally, had lost all of it's lighting in the blast. However, she had some lighting from the fires that had begun to rage from outside the Church walls. Coughing into the dust, she covered her mouth as she looked around her. She immediately choked up at the sight in front of her. It seemed that the vast majority of the 100 or so patients that had been in the hospital had been flattened completely by debris, with merely hand or feet or tufts of hair poking out from below large slabs of concrete and wooden panelling. She saw some who had escaped direct hit, but had been badly injured. Those ones cried into the night, wailing for help. She covered her ears, tears rolling down her cheeks. What could she do for them? Forcing herself to look away from them, she tried to focus. First things first, she had to get out of there and find help for the ones who were still alive. No, she had to find Renée, get out of there and then send help for the patients. Looking around her, she tried to locate the stairs she'd blasted down painfully however long ago.

"Renée!" she shouted out into the room. No reply. "Renée."

_Maybe she made it out_, she thought positively to herself. Her eyes darting around the room, she spotted a large block of ascending rubble that she assumed the stairs were buried beneath. Setting an nervous foot on the bottom, she slowly began to climb up the rubble, her stomach lurching in fear every time the pile shook or gave way even slightly. Eventually she made it to the top, gasping in relief the minute she made it clear of the unsteady pile. She put a hand to her head again, trying to blot the blood she could feel trickling down the side of her face. Her eyes widened at what lay between her and the doorway. Majority of the wooden ceiling beams had fallen, slotting themselves at various points around the room, making an intricate maze between where she was standing and the door. Even more worryingly she looked up at the ceiling, which only had a few beams holding it in place now. How much longer would that hold? How much time did she have before the ceiling crashed down on top of her? Gulping, she got down onto her knees, deciding it would be easier to crawl her way out rather than fit herself through the gaps in the interlocked beams.

"Renée!" She shouted out again as she crawled, using a hand to shield her mouth and nose from the dust. She stopped when she heard a feeble moan coming from somewhere. Her eyes darted everywhere manically, finally resting on hand just up ahead poking out from underneath a concrete slab. Looking up, she let out a deep exhalation of air when she noticed Renée's blue headscarf poking out from the top. Quickly and carefully she scurried over to it, grasping onto the still-warm hand. "Renée?"

"It's…it's me," Renée's feeble voice came from beneath the slab, followed by a sob of pain.

Roseanna choked back the lump in her throat, lying her body flat on the ground so that she could see Renée beneath the slab. "I found you! I'm so glad I found you. Listen, I'm going to go get help. You just wait and…"

"It's…it's too late," Renée whispered, cutting her off.

"What do you mean?" she replied, trying to sound positive. "I've found you, you're still alive. I'll just find someone to help me get you out from under there and you'll be fine."

"My entire pelvis has…been crushed. There's a metal spike in my…side…," Renée breathed out painfully. "I'm not going to make…it."

Roseanna's eyes travelled down, tearing up as she saw that Renée was right. She had a large metal pole, probably one of the window bars, sticking through her side. "I can still try."

"I'm a nurse…trust me," Renée said, trying to shake her head but realising that she couldn't. It hurt too much. "Just…get yourself out of here."

Tears were streaming down her face at this point as she shook her head indignantly. "I don't want to leave you alone. Not here."

Renée sobbed at the gesture.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" she asked, comfortingly stroking the nurse's hand.

Renée thought for a moment. "I…I…have some morphine in my apron…pocket. Put it…top of my leg."

She momentarily released the nurse's hand, reaching down to her blood-stained pocket and taking out the little parcel, administering it as instructed. A few seconds later a pain of semi-relief spread over Renée's face.

Renée looked into Roseanna's eyes gratefully, tears streaming out of the corner of her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but it was so painful for her. "Roseanna…thank y-…y-…."

Roseanna sobbed as she put a finger to her lips. "Don't try and speak."

Roseanna lay there for the next five minutes, stroking Renée's hand and trying to forget about the largely unsupported ceiling. She watched as Renée's eyes slowly began to close, as life began to slip away…until her breathing slowly stopped. When it was done she didn't let go of her hand straight away, unwilling to believe it at first. She'd never seen anyone die before like that, and Renée certainly didn't deserve that. She'd been such a good person. It was only when she felt fragments from the ceiling hit her cheek that she was forced to let go of the nurse. Fighting back her tears, she took the blue headband from her head, clutching it tightly in her hand. A bomb exploding nearby sent more debris flying in through the church entrance, making the foundations and the beams shake. Roseanna knew she had to get out of there. She crawled over to the entrance, trying to fit her body around the four large beams zigzagged over the entrance. Suddenly she saw a hand shoot out. She looked up to see Eugene, wide-eyed, staring at her. She took his hand and, in one swift move, he'd pulled her out from below the beams. She fell straight into his arms, sobbing. Patting her back for a moment, he pulled back to take a look at her.

"Where else are you hurt?" he asked, ever the medic, touching her temple gingerly with his hand to assess how badly it was hurt.

"_I'm_ fine," she choked out. "But…."

"But?" He asked, his eyes suddenly growing wide as he knew what she meant. He'd guessed. "Where's Renée?"

"She's…," Roseanna couldn't stop more fat tears from rolling down her cheeks as she thrust the headscarf into his hands, then pointing out Renée's motionless hand poking out from the concrete inside the church.

Eugene just stared at the hand, transfixed, as Roseanna clung onto his arm. Suddenly another bomb exploded nearby, making the ground shake. She screamed, pulling on his arm. "Eugene! Eugene we need to get out of here!" He didn't move, just stood fixed to the spot. She hit his arm in urgency. "Eugene!"

He snapped back to reality, pushing her shoulder, motioning for her to run. "Go!"

"What?" She looked at him, confused. "What about you?"

"I'll be fine," he said, pushing her into motion again. "Go! Run! Get out of here!"

"Eugene…," she said, but saw the warning look in his eyes. Giving him a last pleading, hopeful look, she turned on her heel she began to run manically, running, in fact, into the path of a jeep full of soldiers that was driving into the town. It braked immediately in front of her. She slammed her two hands down on the bonnet, shouting out. "There are men trapped in the church!"

She watched the soldiers spring immediately into action before turning on her heel again. She began to run towards the direction of HQ, knowing there was something she had to get. Pushing open the large doors, she immediately began running up the stairs of the seemingly evacuated building. On the way she ran into an orderly who was on his way down the stairs at about 180 mph. Stopping in front of her, he grabbed her collar, shaking her.

"Are you insane?!" He yelled at her, trying to pull her downstairs with him. "We have to get out of here! This whole place is going to come down."

"Let go of me!" She shouted at him, pushing him off of her with all of her might and continuing her path up the stairs. When she finally reached her room, she grabbed the large bag she'd come to Bastogne with, rooting fervently through it until she found what she was looking for: a picture of her mother. Standing up, she kicked the bag away. She had all she needed from it, all that was important to her in the world. Everything else was just a reminder of a world she largely disliked. Feeling the ground shake below her, she finally decided to follow the orderly's advice. Stuffing the photograph safely into her pocket, she ran down the stairs and out of the building as fast as she could. She had barely been outside for 15 seconds when a bomb dropped directly onto the building, the ferocious blast of which sent her flying through the covered archway of a nearby building. Flying through the air, the side of her face made hard contact with the wall before sliding slowly down to the floor, where she fell in a crumpled heap. She managed to keep consciousness for a couple of seconds, her eyes looking around manically as everything went hazy…before, for a second time, everything went black.

……………………………….

As Dick jumped off of the truck, he didn't know how long Bastogne had been under siege for, but it was eerily quiet when he'd arrived, save for the wails of pain that newly drafted-in medics from the line rushed to attend. He hadn't known about it until he'd seen Eugene return from a trip to the town that he, himself, had sent him on. He'd been walking back through the foxholes as though in a trance, as though he'd seen something horrible. When Dick asked him what was wrong, he'd explained about the bombing of Bastogne. When Dick had fervently asked if the doc had seen Roseanna, the doc had merely replied, dumbstruckly "I told her to run, to get away. I never saw her after that, Sir.". After that, nothing or no one could have stopped Dick from hopping on a truck into Bastogne. He had to know if she was okay. Walking numbly through the crumbled ruins of this once, he imagined, picturesque, postcard-worthy town, he didn't think he had a hope in hell's chance of finding her, never mind finding her alive. Walking in the direction of Battalion HQ, he stopped short outside where the door should have been. The building was completely levelled, reduced to stone and mortar. His stomach filled with dread, the kind of dread that made him suspect that Roseanna was buried somewhere underneath all of that. He tried to imagine other possible scenarios of how she might have escaped but he kept coming back to that one. She was starlet, raised in cotton wool. How could he assume that, when the bombs started falling, she wouldn't have run up to her room, terrified, to hide under her covers or under her bed, itself. Squatting down, he had to take a moment to himself, pointing his head down to the ground and taking large breaths. He forced himself upright. He was a Captain, for Pete's sake. Turning around, he had to force one leg in front of the other until he was walking. He noticed, out of the corner of his eye, that the building opposite had somehow managed to stay intact. He wished with everything inside of him that it could have been HQ that had survived. He stopped short when he saw a leg poking out from behind one of the covered archway walls. Were his eyes playing tricks on him? He blinked. No, it was definitely a leg. Allowing hope that it might be her build up inside him, he ran over to the motionless leg. Rolling the motionless body over onto it's back, he rubbed the dust off of it's face…gasping in utter relief when he saw that it was Roseanna! He had to stop himself from pulling her to him in a tight hug, not wanting to move her more than necessary. He put his ear to her mouth to check if she was breathing. Thank goodness, she was! Quickly he checked her over to make sure she had no obvious, critical wounds. When he was satisfied to the best of his knowledge that she was safe for transportation, he slid an arm under her neck and the other just below her behind, lifting her up swiftly. As he began to carry her through the debris-cluttered ruins of Bastogne, her eyes flickered open momentarily.

"Dick…," she wheezed out, as disbelieving it to be him.

"It's me," he confirmed, a smile erupting over his face that she was awake. "Are you hurt? Do you feel any pain?"

"You came for me," she managed to wheeze out again before slipping unconscious again.

…………………….

_**27**__**th**__** December, 1944**_

Roseanna had been dreaming that she was running through poppy fields, hands outstretched, touching the petals as she went. It was when she finally regained consciousness, slowly opening one eye, that she was yanked out of this heavenly dream. She was confused at first, couldn't understand this strange place she was in, a tiny square surrounded half by black canvas, half by white draped sheets. She could hear noises in the distance. As she slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes, the memories came flooding back to her. The bombs, Bastogne, the explosion of HQ…the cold stone wall that her face had become too familiar with. With that in mind, she became aware of the shooting pain that hung in her left jaw, where she'd slammed into the wall. She held a hand to it, wincing with the pain. The memories flowing around in her head, she began to gasp for breath. How had she survived, made it through that? Or, wait…had she really?

"Calm down, calm down," a voice said, putting an arm around her neck, stroking her back comfortingly.

She hadn't even realised that there was anyone else in the room but, looking up, she felt relieved at the sight of Eugene. The delirium from her sudden panic made her grab his shirt collar, pulling him closer and asking him manically. "What is this place? How did I get here? …am I dead?!"

He didn't falter, the blank expression remaining on his face. Steadily, he released her hand from his collar. "No, you're not dead, just in shock."

She put her head in her hands. "How can I not be dead? Bastogne! The bombs, the explosions, the screaming. The last thing I remember is being in so much pain…and then nothing."

"You took a bad hit to the head, and you're hip is bruised pretty bad," he explained, indicating that she had a bandage wrapped around her head, a by-product of the hospital explosion in Bastogne.

"How long was I asleep?"

"All of yesterday," he said, finding somewhere inside him the ability to summon a small smile.

"Oh," she said. "No wonder I feel strangely refreshed.

They sat in silence for a moment, Eugene stroking her arm reassuringly as she kept her head pressed into her hands, her head searching for memories and answers. Suddenly, the image of a dying Renée came back her. Her head moved bolt upright, her eyes agape. "Renée!"

Eugene was quiet for a moment, before stating. "I know."

She turned to him, quickly gathering his hands up in hers. "I'm so sorry!"

"So am I," he nodded, looking over to the dark canvas as though looking out of a window that wasn't even there.

"How? How? How?" She shook her head incredulously. "How could this happen to her? She was such a good person…what have I ever done to help people that would put me on a par with her? Why didn't I die?"

"Who can say?" Eugene shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows why anyone dies."

At the thought of the dead nurse, Roseanna began to feel nauseous, making the wounds on her head and hip throb even more. She put a hand on the medic's shoulder. "Eugene…could I be on my own for a little bit?"

He saw the pain in her eyes, watching as she turned away from him, rolling over onto her side and staring emptily into the black canvas. Nodding, he walked over, pulling open one of the white drapes he'd hung around the corner to give her some privacy from the men in this quickly set-up hospital tent to treat the patients of the siege. "I'll come back a check on you later."

A thought suddenly entered her head, making her sit bolt upright. "Wait, Eugene!"

"Yes?" He asked, turning back round to look at her.

"How did I get here?" She asked, looking at him vulnerably. "Did someone save me? Did you save me?"

"No," he shook his head. "It wasn't me."

"Then how did I get here?"

"Captain Winters brought you. He found you outside of Battalion HQ, unconscious," Eugene told her curtly, closing the drape behind him as he left, leaving her alone.

"Dick…," she said to herself, her voice seeming to echo to her in the confines of the small square that she was in.

……………………………


	9. Chapter 9 Visits

**Falling Star Chapter 9**

…………………………..

_**December 28**__**th**__**, 1944**_

As the siege of Bastogne replayed itself in her dream for the second time, she woke up just before division HQ could explode again. Breathing heavily, sweating slightly, she sat up in bad, putting a hand over her heart which was beating like a drum. She hoped the nightmares would stop. When she'd finally calmed down, she easily swung her legs over the side of the bed, standing up and stretching. She was amazed at how quickly she felt recovered, despite a remaining wince of pain every time she put pressure on her injured hip. Trying to shake off the images from the nightmare, she tied her hair back and put on her army coat, which Eugene had conveniently left lying on a crate at the bottom of her bed. She needed to get some air. She felt trapped in this stuffy canvas tent with men wailing in pain all day, especially since she'd been cooped inside it since Christmas night. Pulling back the drape to her "private compartment", she located the exit at the opposite end and wilfully strode towards it, trying to block out the whisperings of "Is that Roseanna Caine?" as she went. She didn't like it, instantly making her feel lonely and out of her comfort zone (more so than she'd been in Bastogne anyway, and even then she'd been pretty far-removed from her comfort zone). When she got outside, looking out at the snow covered forest and field expanses around them, she felt extra lost. Brushing off the snow and sitting down on a nearby stone wall, she sighed heavily. She couldn't see anyone that she knew. Where was Dick? Why hadn't he come to visit her, come to see if she was okay? Suddenly she looked up, alerted to a nearby jeep by the sounds of a familiar voice barking out orders. It was Eugene, packing supplies into a jeep. Her heart leapt, someone she knew!

"Eugene!" She shouted over, getting his attention.

He turned round, hearing her voice nearby. Mustering a smile, he strode over. "You're awake?"

"Finally, right?" she joked, turning her body slowly towards him despite the dull ache in her hip.

"I came to check on you when I got here about an hour ago, but you were dead to the world," he explained, nudging the snow around softly with the tip of his boot.

"Mmm, I feel like I've been sleeping for years. No wonder I feel so refreshed," she said, clasping her hands on her lap. "I suppose I had to wake up sometime, though. I'd actually prefer being awake, if I'm honest."

"Why's that?" He asked, taking a seat next to her on the wall and staring out into the forest at nothing in particular.

"I keep having nightmares," she said, shaking her head pitifully. "Keep seeing Bastogne, building exploding, people screaming in pain, Renée…"

He shook his head sadly too, the memory still fresh for him as well. "It's normal after a trauma like that. I've been having them, too. Don't worry, won't last forever."

"Hope not," she said, closing her eyes and sucking in the cold, winter air through her nose. "The fresh air helps."

"Mmm," Eugene nodded awkwardly. "Captain Winters hoped you wouldn't stray far from the draped compartment we had set up for you, so that you wouldn't draw too much attention from the soldiers."

"What?" she demanded, her eyes springing open. "Stay in there? Like some kind of prisoner?"

He offered her a sympathetic smile, adding tactfully. "I think he just wanted you to recover in peace and quiet, undisturbed."

"Peace and quiet," she stifled a dry laugh, pointing at the tent. "Hard to come by in there."

"You'll get used to it," He patted her on the back, standing up and shoving her hands in his pockets, grimacing against the cold. "Well, I should get going before that jeep leaves without me."

"Okay…," she said, watching him leave for a second before shouting him back. "Hey, Eugene!"

"Yeah?" He asked, turning back round to face her.

"Captain Winters," she paused. "…will he be, um…dropping by today at all?"

He thought for a second. "Not as far as I know. Urgent?"

"No,"

She watched Eugene's jeep driving back off into the distance, watching it grow into a small speck before final disappearing from view altogether. Sighing, she stuffed her hands into her pockets and wandered back into the tent. As she walked towards her makeshift room, she watched doctors flitting around, hurriedly tending each patient as quickly as possible. Her eyes rested on an exhausted doctor, barely able to keep his eyes open, trying to bandage both bleeding, cut hands of a soldier, who was holding them both up in the air, wincing in pain. She cocked her head to one side. It looked simple enough. There were more pressing injuries for the doctor to tend to, maybe she should help. Tentatively, she put a hand on the doctor's shoulder, causing him to whip his head round. "Yes?"

"I…I can take over there for you," she offered, her voice suddenly going mousey.

He blinked at her. "You know what you're doing?"

She showed him her own bandaged hand. "I learned well from the nurse who did this bandage for me."

He thought for a minute, seemingly realising there were _indeed_ more pressing patients to attend to. "Okay, on you go. That bandage of yours looks like it needs changed. Come find me later when it's quiet and I'll do it for you."

"Thanks," she said, watching him flit off to a man with several bullet holes in his arm. She sat down opposite the youthful, blonde soldier, his hands still streaming red. She set to work. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine ma'am, all the better now," he said, bashfully yet excitedly. "I can't quite believe I'm havin' my hands bandaged by Roseanna Caine. If I didn't know any better I'd think I'd banged my head on my rifle or something like that."

"Luckily it's just your hands then, huh?" She smiled at him, weaving the snow-white bandaging round his hands gently, just as she'd seen Renée do. "How'd you do this anyway?"

"In Bastogne, ma'am," he explained, wincing in pain as she accidentally made direct contact with his cuts. "There's a hell of a cleanup job there since it got blown to hell, and some of us are on "rubble duty"."

"Rubble duty?" she echoed, frowning in confusion.

"Lot of files that got lost in the rubble when HQ exploded, need to be found," he told her.

"Sound like finding a needle in a haystack," she said, shaking her head, finishing off his second hand.

"Am I goin' to have to put you on the payroll?" A booming, instantly-recognisable voice came from behind her.

She beamed, knowing it was Colonel Sink. Gently putting the soldier's hand down, she turned round to face to looming Colonel. "No, Sir. All Voluntary, of course."

"Well, that's the spirit," He said, his moustache twitching slightly. "Care to accompany an old Colonel to his jeep, Miss Caine."

"Sure," she said, standing up. "I'm finished here anyway."

"Now, now," he said as they began the brisk walk outside, pointing to the bandage still wrapped around her head. "I see you escaped Bastogne largely unscathed."

"Mostly," she nodded, adding incredulously. "All thanks to Dick though...er…I mean Captain Winters. If he hadn't have rescued me, I'd have been a goner for sure, Sir."

"Well that's good to hear," He said, his face growing serious. "You understand that this had stilted our progression in getting you home?"

She looked down, nodding. She'd known that deep down. "As I figured, Sir."

"We'll keep working on it though," he assured her.

"Sir," she piped up, actually not really caring about that right now, oddly. "I was wondering…."

"Here we go," he joked, rolling his eyes. "Another request?"

"Just a little one," she smiled charmingly at him. "I was wondering if you might give your permission to let me go out and visit Captain Winters and the fellas again. I'd like to thank Captain Winters personally for saving me."

Sink stepped a foot onto his jeep, his eyes sparkling in amusement as he looked at her. He shook his head. "Stop gambling with your life, Miss Caine! It's the front, not a social party! Just sit tight and wait it out. He'll get off the line eventually for a while and you can think him yourself."

"Yes, Sir," she looked down, mumbling, but he'd already driven away.

………………………………….

_**29**__**th**__** December, 1944**_

Roseanna lay one her bed the wrong way round, head at the base, feet resting on the solitary, deflated pillow. She exhaled deeply, trying to pass the time. The night before, when the frustration of not being able to block out the wails long enough to lull herself to sleep had peaked, she'd decided she should put her time here to good use: writing songs. She tapped out a rhythm on her stomach lightly with her fingers as she sang and talked to herself. "Does he notice me, does he see me…does he think of me when he's…at sea…no…"

"I'd think twice about making that your next big hit," a voice announced loudly from the door.

Looking up, she saw the upside down silhouette of George Luz. Quickly she righted herself, seeing him the right way up. She blinked, was it really George Luz.

"George!" She said, rushing forward and pulling him into a hug, so happy was she to see a familiar face.

"Hey, I must be the luckiest guy in the world right now," he joked, patting her affectionately on the back.

She released him, clearing her coat off of the crate at the bed, making space for him to sit himself down.

"So, this the VIP area then?" he said sarcastically, looking around the cramped space.

"Yes," she matched his sarcasm, rolling her eyes as she motioned for him to sit. "So think yourself lucky."

"Hey," he said, noticing the bandage on her head for the first time, pointing to it. "You been out fightin' on the front?"

"If you think this is bad, you should see the other guy," she joked then stopped…she couldn't even joke about it.

George noticed her coming over all emotional, and sat next to her on the bed, putting an amicable arm around her shoulders, comforting her. "There, there."

"I thought I was gonna die, George," she said, the reality of that fact coming back to her again, as it had done several times over the past few days. Clearing her throat, she tried to shake it off. "But I'm all the better for seeing a friendly face."

"That's why I'm here," he smiled supportively at her.

"Really?" she cocked an eyebrow at him. "You're here to see me?"

"Yes," he shrugged her shoulders. "Well…no. Well…sort of, I think."

"Huh?" she looked at him, confused.

"Winters sent me here cos of this…," he held up his hand, which looked like it had been cut lightly by a loose piece of bark. "But to me it doesn't look deep at all and it doesn't even hurt so I figured maybe he wanted me to provide you with the George Luz comedy experience."

"Go on then, provide me," she joked, holding up some white bandaging. "I can fix that for you. I'm getting really good at it now."

"Getting good at wrapping clothing around something then tying off the end?" he asked, sarcastically.

She hit him playfully in the arm. "Hey, don't take this away from me."

"I won't, I wont," he laughed as she began to clean the wound. "But I wouldn't think about changing careers anytime soon. Although actually, from that song you were singing when I got here…maybe you should."

"So what's new on the line?" she asked, shooting him a look and purposely ignoring his smartass comment.

"Great," he smiled enthusiastically. "If you like when it rains shells."

"Shells?" she frowned.

"Not those kind of shells," he rolled his eyes at her ignorance.

"Is everyone okay?" she asked. "Fighting fit, I mean."

"Mmm hmmmm," he nodded coyly, wondering who specifically she was enquiring about here.

"So," she probed further. "I suppose you fellas aren't getting off the line anytime soon?"

"Nope," he shook his head matter-of-factly.

"Not even Captain Winters?" She asked innocently. "I only ask because I still need to thank him for saving my life.

Bingo. There it was. He knew it. "You're sweet on the Captain, aren't you?"

Her cheeks flushed crimson. "No! Of course not!"

Her face said it all. "That was so…believable."

"He's just been protective of me, that's all!" She shot back, tying a knot in his bandage.

"Mmmm hmmm," He said, eyeing her delightedly. "So if I was to tell you I overhead a conversation between Captains Winters and Nixon the other night…it wouldn't have been true what they were saying."

"What were they saying?" She asked, desperately interested but stopped, knowing it would give the game away. "I don't even care because, no, it's not true."

"Okay," he smiled mischievously, standing up. "I should go and get back to the line…this place is getting hot like a furnace with the heat comin' from your cheeks."

"George!" she couldn't help laughing despite her embarrassment.

"Hug for the Luz?" He said, holding out his arms, pulling her into a goodbye hug.

"Luz, wait!" she stopped him nervously as he turned to leave.

"Yes?"

"Could you do something for me?"

"Depends…," He joked. "What's it worth?"

"Eternal gratitude," she replied, pausing before continuing. She really didn't want to do this, it would give everything away. Still, Luz was the only contact she had with Easy at that precise moment. "Can you pass along a note for me?"

"To Captain Winters, right?" He said sarcastically.

"Yes," she rolled her eyes, reaching for a piece of bandage. "Got a pen?"

He fished in his pocket. "Here."

Smoothing the piece of bandage against the wall, she gingerly wrote the word _"Please Come and See Me. R."_ on it, folding it up and then once again for good measure. "Give him this."

"No problem," he replied, tucking it into his jacket pocket.

"Oh and Luz," she called him back again. "Don't read it. Well…I know you _will_ read it, but don't spread it around, okay?"

"Course I won't," he replied, shooting her a last mischievous smile.

"George," she repeated his name, warningly.

He held up his hands. "Alright, aright. I got it, I got it. I won't say nothin'!"

………………………..

That night, despite the failure of the previous night's attempts, Roseanna lay in bed trying to sleep. It had actually started off a quieter night than before, save for the snoring of some heavily drugged soldiers. She'd been merely seconds away from drifting into a peaceful slumber when the silence had been broken by the pain-filled moaning from a bed nearby her cornered-off section. Not tonight, please not tonight. With a groan of her own, she threw back the thin sheets, throwing on her army coat as a dressing gown and peeking her head behind the drape. She blinked in surprise. It was the soldier on "rubble duty" whose hands she'd bandaged the day before. Careful where she was stepping with her bare feet (it was really too cold to have bare feet, but she couldn't sleep with socks on), she made her way over to him.

"Are you alright, soldier?" she whispered, careful not to wake the sleeping men around her.

"Oh, Miss Caine," He said, surprised to see her, wincing from pain as he shook his head. "I'm really not okay."

"Well, what's the problem?" She asked, concerned, perching on the side of his makeshift bed.

He held up his bandaged hands. "The doc redressed my bandages this evening but he did them far too tight and I think it's cuttin' off my circulation or something cos…damn this hurts."

"Oh, you poor thing," she put a sympathetic hand on his arm. "Let's see if I can't loosen them for you."

Gently, she eased some of the fabric free from each bandage, allowing more space for his hands. "Better?"

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Much better. Thank you, ma'am."

"You're welcome," she smiled at him. "Need anything else before I hit the hay?"

He motioned to a tin cup of water on a crate by his bed. "Could I have a drink."

She leaned over to get it, knocking a book off of the crate in the process. _Good work, genius_. She bent down to pick it up, smiling in surprise at the cover. "The Great Gatsby?"

"Yes, ma'am," he nodded.

"It's my favourite," she mused, stroking the cover. She added with a hint of sadness. "Lost my copy to the rubble in Bastogne, though."

"Well in that case," the soldier wriggled himself into a sitting position, an impressive feat hands-free. "I'd be most obliged if you kept my copy."

"Oh no, I couldn't take your book,"

"No, I insist. I'm not a very good reader anyway," he said shyly.

"You've never read the story?" she asked, surprised.

"Never," he shook his head, hinting. "Always wanted to, though."

"Oh," she said, receiving the hint loud and clear. "Would you like me to read it to you?"

His eyes lit up. "Would you mind? I was having trouble sleepin' anyway."

She smiled, despite feeling a yawn coming on. "Not a problem."

She began to read. She hadn't been at it for more than two minutes when a voice piped up from further down the row of crate and cot beds. "Could you speak up so that I can hear?"

Eventually, she was sitting in the middle of the room, reading aloud to the select few in the whole room for whom sleep would not come easily.

………………………………………

_**December 30**__**th**_, _**1944**_

The next day, Roseanna sat on the wall outside of the hospital, reading through the copy of The Great Gatsby she'd received the night before, this time for her own pleasure. After the night before, she felt marginally better about her situation. She didn't feel like such an outsider anymore. She was still dying to see Dick, though. She couldn't put her finger exactly on why he had such a hold on her out here without even trying. Was it just this bizarre situation? Was it fate? She didn't know. All she knew was that, in his eyes, she could see such honesty and genuine concern for her safety. She hadn't met many (if any, she'd have to think about it) men in her life who could fill her stomach with butterflies by merely glancing at her, nor any who made her feel so safe. Suddenly her days of yearning were about to come to an end with the stopping of a jeep engine. She looked up. His face was covered up by his helmet and the lower half was hidden with a scarf, but it was Dick, alright. Her heart leapt and she was overcome with emotion, an excitement coursing through her body that she could neither comprehend nor control. Unable to contain herself, she threw her book to the floor and padded quickly towards him. He'd only been aware of her presence for about two second before she'd leapt into his arms, kissing his freezing cold cheeks again and again.

"You saved me!" she blurted out happily, kissing his cheek again.

"Is this how we're greeting each other now?" he couldn't help laughing at her affection, just glad the scarf wrapped tightly around him was covering up his crimson cheeks.

"I'm sorry, but…," she threw her arms around him again, breathing in headily the familiar smell of his hair. "I have been dying to see you, Dick. To say thank you!"

"I know," he said, squeezing her back lightly before gently releasing her. "I got a note to that effect."

She blushed, climbing into the jeep and taking a seat. "Yes, that was me at the height of desperation to see you."

"Well, I'm flattered," he joked but, deep down, he was. She lead him over to the wall she'd been sitting on. He watched her sit down, pick up a book and delicately smooth out the front cover with her hand. As he watched her he took in the bandage tied around her forehead. Frowning with concern, he reached out and touched it. She winced slightly, more out of surprise and nervousness as his touch. "Sorry."

"It's okay," she said, reaching up to touch it herself, lightly brushing his fingers. "It's healing well."

They both stopped as their fingers touch, awkwardly looking in opposite directions. Eventually her eyes drifted back to his face. "You came to Bastogne to find me?"

"Obviously," he replied, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly.

She wanted to ask why, but instead, settled with. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he said. "So…are you settling in alright?"

"I suppose," she shrugged, looking down at the snow. "I think I'm going out of my mind a little."

"At least you're safe," he reasoned.

"I'd be safe with you, with your soldiers," she joked, laying her head against the steering wheel exhaustedly. "Can't you just take me with you?"

"What?" he eyes her, amusedly, leaning against the hood of the jeep. "And what would you do out there?"

"I don't know," she shrugged her shoulders. "I wouldn't get in the way though, and I'd guarantee to bring entertainment."

"Well," He said, climbing up into the jeep and scooching her over into the passenger seat. "I don't doubt _that_."

"See, then you should let me come," she said sadly, knowing he believed she was only joking.

"I think that's the last thing you need after Bastogne," he said, turning to face her and leaning on his chair, smiling. "You trying to make me worry about you even more?"

"You didn't worry about me in Bastogne?" she asked, pointedly.

"I did actually," He replied matter-of-factly.

"Surely it's my decision," she proposed.

"I'm afraid the Army doesn't work like that, Roseanna," he said, putting a sympathetic hand on her shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze. "Just try and make the best of it, we'll get you out of here as soon as possible."

"I'm sorry to complain," she looked down, embarrassed. "I guess it's just because I know it's New Year's Eve tomorrow."

"Did you have big plans?"

"Family party," she said, mustering a smile. "It's not usually a big deal for me but I'd convinced my maternal grandparents to come this year. But, oh well…could I at least come out onto the line tomorrow for a while for New Years?"

"We're not celebrating out there," he said, continually amused by how ignorant she was of how the army operated. "It'll be like any other day for us out there, perhaps slightly more dangerous."

"Oh," she said, defeated, climbing out of the jeep altogether.

"I'm…I'm sorry," he said, flatly.

She shook her head, putting on a brave face. "Don't worry, it's fine. I'll be fine. Well, I should get back inside. I'll see you next time you drop by, Dick."

"I'll try and…," he began, but she'd already walked off, hands stuffed into her pockets.

……………………………

_**31**__**st**__** December, 1944- New Year's Eve**_

Roseanna lay toe-to-head on her bed (she liked it better that way), staring up at the ceiling blankly. Moment earlier she'd checked her army wristwatch, informing her that it was around 4 p.m., only 5 minutes later than when she'd previously checked it. She thought distractedly about home. By now, allowing for the time difference, she'd guessed that the serving staff at the Caine Family Mansion would already be awake, already starting to dress the house from top-to-toe for the soiree. Soon the cateres would be bringing masses of pre-made food and nibbles, her father's favourite wine merchant would be pulling up in their delivery truck, the electrician would soon be there to discuss a lighting scheme for the evening, the final results of which her stepmother would have the final say in. Yes, all of those people would be awake. Her family, at the point, would be getting much needed beauty sleep, and probably wouldn't rise until around midday, when they would eat a luxurious brunch then perhaps amuse themselves with cards until the hair and make up team arrived to make sure that her stepmother and Lola looked perfect for the evening ahead. And they had a lot of work to do, Roseanna thought jokingly to herself, the devil horns sprouting out of the top of their heads had to be carefully concealed, not to mention the nose warts. And her? What would she have been doing? Well, she'd have been in Iowa at that point, having an early breakfast with her grandparents before they'd be shortly leaving to go and catch their train into the big city. And here she was now, sitting in this bed, whiling the hours away until the New Year. She sighed deeply, and absent-mindedly began humming _Auld Lang Syne_. She thought she'd been doing it quietly, but she soon became aware of other joining in from the other side of her curtain. Smiling to herself, she began to hum even louder. Together, they hummed, rising to a crescendo before finishing off the song together.

"Thank you, Miss Caine," a voice shouted from the other side somewhere.

"Thank you, too," she called back. Turning her head, she saw The Great Gatsby lying next to her pillow. _Oh well,_ she thought to herself, _I suppose I'm not the only one facing a lonely New Year_. Grabbing the book, she walked back out, seeing several bedridden soldiers, her fellow hummers, staring back at her. She held up the book to show them, attracting some beaming smiles. "Shall I pick up where I left off last night?"

……………………………………

By the time Dick made it to the hospital, the snow had started to fall even thicker. He was having second thoughts about his decision. No, he shook his head. She'd been right, it _was_ her decision and she could tell, for whatever reason, that she didn't want to be stuck in the hospital on New Year's Eve, that she wanted to be with him and Easy. He'd make sure to keep her as far back as possible. Plus, he thought, rather selfishly, he _did_ want to see her too. Parking, he walked over to the entrance, pulling back the flap. He blinked at what he saw. Roseanna, sitting on a crate in the middle of the room, legs crossed, reading aloud to the room, her voice full of passion, making the men erupt into fits of laughter as she put on different voices for the characters. At that exact moment there, desire for her coursed through his body. He shifted uncomfortably, he shouldn't be allowing this to happen. _That_ he knew very well. He didn't attempt to interrupt her, just watched her, mesmerised, until she came to the end of that chapter, earning some whoops and cheers from the men sitting around her in their makeshift beds. _She could probably transfix a crowd just by playing tiddlywinks_, he thought to himself. As she closed the book over and placed it on her lap, he coughed loudly to announce his presence. She looked over, a smile erupting on her face as she bounded over to him.

She put her hands on her hips as she eyed him. "Did you come for the reading, Captain Winters?"

"No," he smiled. "That was just luck."

She held back a smile. "So what can I do for you?"

"Well it's more what can you do for me…," he teased. "I was just wondering if you'd like to come and spend New Years Eve with Easy?"

Her face lit up. "I'll get my coat!"

……………………………………….


	10. Chapter 10 New Year's Eve

**Falling Star Chapter 10**

Hi everyone, hope you're all still enjoying this story even though I'm not sure where I'm going with it yet, haha we'll see where it ends up. Thank you all for the kind reviews, I love reading them and they really spur me on :D.

…………………………..

_**31**__**st**__** December, 1944- New Year's Eve, cont…**_

Dick's jeep whipped through the night (for, although it was only just evening, darkness had already begun to settle in) air, small snow flakes hitting their faces as they went. Roseanna pulled her scarf further around her cheeks, tucking her hands cosily under the underarms of her heavy, army coat.

"Thanks again for this, Dick," she smiled over at him, looking at his serious expression as he drove looking firmly ahead, hands at the ten and two. "I needed a break from my little room, my little prison cell."

He ignored her comment, not even breaking his sight from the road to address her. "There are some rules, though."

She rolled her eyes, "I expected as much."

"I want you to stay as far back directly from the line as possible, in a place I've picked out especially," he said, trying to sound authoritative.

"What?" she whipped her head over to look at him, annoyed. "I can't even say hello to the other fellas."

Dick rolled his eyes, he knew she was going to say that. "They'll be eating in about an hour, you can join them for that…but then right back out of the way of the line. Deal?"

She mulled it over for a second. "Deal."

After he'd parked, the area around them completely silent and still, he lead her towards the same little hut from Christmas. She said _hut_ in her head because she, ignorant in army lingo, had no idea what it was for, why there'd be a small, half-covered hut out there in the middle of the Ardennes. She smiled as he stood aside to let her enter first, supposing this must be his chosen safe place. She flinched as she saw a figure already sat in the corner of it, but relaxed when she realised it was only Nix. She waved, nodding politely at him. "Captain."

"Well, well, well," he said, eyeing Dick and Roseanna amusedly as they came in. "Back for round two with the Luftwaffe?"

"Something like that," she said, but flinched, the memory still fresh.

Nix sensed this, and patted her affectionately on the back. "Well, it's good to see you again, live and kicking. Well, I'm on my way to get some good, Joe Domingus' just gave the call. You comin'?"

She nodded enthusiastically, looking back at Dick and motioning for him to follow as she followed Nix out.

…………..

"Hey, hey, Roseanna Caine," Luz whooped as the trio approached, alerting the others to her presence. He wandered over to her, leaning closely into her ear, whispering. "Back for more? Or just trying to spend some time with the Captain"

She burst out laughing, offering him a wink. "You don't know nothin' about nothin', got it Luz?"

"Aye, Aye, _Captain_," he smirked, touching her arm affectionately. "Right, excuse me. I need to go take a leak."

She wrinkled her nose in disgust. Guarnere, seeing this, wandered over to her as Luz walked away. "Classy kinda guy, huh?"

"Mmm," she agreed, nodding her head as she continued to watch Luz disappear between the trees. She only turned to face Bill when he handed her a steaming cup of food, grabbing her attention. Looking forward to the warmth on her hands, she took it, clasping it between her hands. "Thanks, Bill."

"Good to see you again, Roseanna," he said, taking a mouthful from his own. "You sure brighten up a place as, forgive my french, damn depressing as this is, even when you're not as trussed-up as you were last time.

Her hand wandered up to her make-up free face, feeling slightly embarrassed. "I lost everything in Bastogne. All my make-up."

He held his free hand up in protest. "No, no, I didn't mean to offend ya. What I meant was, even though you're not wearing any, you still look a million bucks."

"Oh," she blushed, avoiding his eyes. "Thanks."

"But, uh, yeah," he said, trying to change the subject. "We heard all about Bastogne. We were all glad to hear you made it through okay."

"Yeah," she sat down, the images coming back to her as she sat down on a log and motioned for him to follow. "_I_ made it through. I was lucky, others weren't."

"Yeah, we lost a lot of good men," he nodded along with her, sympathetically.

"And women," she said, looking away.

"Yeah," he said, continuing to agree…then stopped. "Wait, what?"

She shook her head. "There was a nurse in the hospital there, Renée. She was…amazing. The work she did there, the hours she put in, the lives she helped save…incredible. I've never met anyone like her and, yet…they got her. Such a waste."

"Shit," Bill breathed, not knowing what to say to cheer her up.

"Eugene knew her well, too," Roseanna continued. "Maybe he mentioned her?"

Bill shook his head. "Nah, he never mentioned to anyone. The doc never says much."

"Oh," she said, slightly surprised.

He put a sympathetic hand over hers. "Y'know, people die in a war. It's not fair and it's not right, but it happens, happens to good people. You just have to accept it. We've all had do, God knows we have."

"I know," she said, looking down. "Thanks, Bill."

"Anytime," he winked at her, frowning and rolling his eyes as he looked behind her. "Here comes loverboy."

"What?" She followed his gaze, shifting awkwardly in her seat at the sight of Sergeant Talbert approaching. "Oh."

"Evening, Miss Caine," he nodded, politely at her then at Bill. "Bill."

"Tab," Bill returned the gesture, rolling his eyes at his friend.

"I was wondering Miss Caine, if you'd like to walk with me a bit?" He said, offering his hand out to her. "That is, if Sergeant Guarnere doesn't mind me stealing you for a while?"

"I think she's capable of deciding for herself," Bill replied dryly.

"I…um…," she said, gazing into his eyes. Damn Sergeant Talbert's handsome features. "Alright."

Bill shot her a warning look as she took Tab's hand. She flashed him back a reassuring one, putting a farewell hand on his shoulder. "See you soon, Bill."

"Yeah, later," he said blankly, waving her away with his free hand, his other gripping tightly onto his tin cup.

"So," Floyd began, smiling jokingly at her as soon as they were out of earshot of Bill. "Couldn't stay away from me, huh?"

She exhaled in surprise at his boldness, before bursting out laughing and playing along. "That's _exactly_ right, Sergeant Talbert. The whole reason I'm here is to see you, but I'm just annoyed you foiled my little ruse so quickly."

"Well," he playfully breathed on his nails and wiped them on his jacket just by his shoulder. "You don't get promoted to Sergeant for being an idiot."

She chucked him on the arm.

"For the record," he glanced sideways at her as they settled down on a log a little away from the mass of dining soldiers. "I _know_ that was sarcasm, but I'll take it all the same."

"I thought you would," she remarked, smiling at him. "So, what do you guys do for fun on a New Year's Eve out here."

"Oh, you know…," he shrugged, grinning mischievously at her. "The usual. Waiting around to see if the Germans put on a firework display for us, cos I hear there's a good chance they might."

"My, my you're lucky," she said, joking along with him but, inwardly, feeling a shudder.

He noticed this, scooting closer. "I'd keep you safe, though, of course."

"I don't doubt that,"

"No really…I may make jokes but…" he said, his handsome features growing serious as he took one of her hands earnestly in his. "I'm _really_ happy to see you, again. I didn't think I would. When I heard about what happened in Bastogne…."

"Aw," she said, touched by his concern. She gave his hand an appreciative pat. "Thank you, Floyd."

"Well, I meant it," he said earnestly again. "I'm happy you're still alive."

"Funnily enough, so am I," she said, joking again.

"It's just as well," he continued. "I'd have been heartbroken if I never got the chance to tell you how smitten I am with you."

She couldn't contain a little stifled laughter, as she shot him a look, brushing it off. "Are you a big city boy, Floyd?"

"No," he shot back, triumphantly. "I'm from Kokomo, Indiana."

"Still a city," she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, but not the biggest in the U.S," he retorted, smiling. "Why do you ask, anyway?"

"You just have all of the charm and confidence of a New York or Los Angeles City Boy," she said from experience. " Anyway, that was such a line. I hear you say that to all the girls."

"Lies!" He raised his eyes interestedly as he laughed. "And just who's been saying that?"

"I couldn't possibly say," she said, making a zip motion against her lips.

"Well, I'll have to conduct some interviews then, ask around to find the culprit," He said, taking her hand again. "But anyway, onto more pressing matters…"

"And what would those be?"

"Your New Year's Eve kiss?"

"My what?" she blushed, shocked once again by his gall.

"Tradition, of course," he said matter-of-factly. "Everyone's gotta kiss someone at midnight and, well, if you haven't decided who you're giving yours to then I'd like to submit my application for review."

"Well," she said, preparing a sarcastic comeback. Suddenly they were interrupted b the sudden appearance of Dick, scarf wrapped tightly around his neck. She looked around, confused. Where had he come from? Had he heard what they were saying?

"I think it's time we get you further back from the line, " Dick said in a no nonsense voice.

"Okay," she said, standing up. She didn't want to argue with him. "Have a good evening, Sergeant Talbert."

Floyd reached out for her hand, halting her as she'd begun to follow Dick. She looked down at him. "Yes?"

"Think about what I said," he said, winking at her playfully.

"That will be all, Sergeant," Dick said dryly.

Tab suddenly straightened up, as though he'd been told off by a teacher. He nodded respectfully at Dick. "Sir."

…………………………….

After a wordless walk back to the hut, Roseanna sat down on an upturned crate, pulling her coat tighter round her. "I think it's getting colder out, what do you think?"

"I'd say so," Dick sat opposite her, studying her face illuminated lightly by the barely-visible flame from the hob heating up hot water for coffee. "Although you don't look cold."

"I don't?"

"No. In fact, I'd say you were glowing," he said, putting on a smile but clearly distracted.

"Yes, well," she coughed. "I like seeing your troops, all good men…they make me feel refreshed."

"Sergeant Talbert seems quite taken with you," Dick said pointedly, attempting to sound unaffected.

"Don't worry, Dick," she said, offering him a reassuring smile as she further back against the small, heavily-fortified sandbag walls of the hut. "I've been well-instructed to be wary of Sergeant Talbert's advances. Besides, I'm a big girl…"

"I know," he said, looking a little ashamed and embarrassed. "I can't help worrying about you though, worrying about the people around me…it's in my nature."

She searched for some confidence within herself. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you seemed a little jealous, Dick."

"No," he protested, then shut his mouth. Silenced.

"You're worried about me getting hurt?" she said, cocking an eyebrow at him. "Didn't you hurt me a little on Christmas Eve when you pulled away from me?"

"Oh, that…," he sad, looking away awkwardly, wishing he'd never started this conversation.

She looked down, clasping her hands together, feeling like she'd set a ball in motion that she couldn't stop. "I _have_ to ask, since it's New Year's Eve, and I'm a firm believe in getting all unfinished business out of the way before the new year…"

"Okay," he said tensely, bracing himself.

"You didn't…you didn't…didn't you want…," she said, searching for the right words. "You didn't…_want_ to kiss me?"

Dick was quiet for a moment, he wasn't good with romantic confrontation. Still, he owed it to her. "That's not exactly true…"

"It's not?"

"No. Listen, I'm not an idiot," he began to explain. "I'm well aware how many men would curse me or call me an idiot for having the chance to kiss Roseanna Caine and refusing it…but…"

"Why didn't you?" She asked, all of her hairs standing on end.

"It's what I explained to you that night before you ran off," he said, looking earnestly into her eyes. "This is a warzone. We're out here, literally surrounded on all sides. The lives of these men depend, largely, on me and my leadership. I have to keep a clear head for them, I owe them that. I can't let romance cloud my judgement here."

Roseanna didn't say anything several seconds, just mulled over what he said. She felt embarrassed, embarrassed and selfish. She looked up slowly, meeting his remorseful eyes. She opened her mouth to reply when suddenly the ground began to shake. Suddenly an all-too-familiar sound began to pierce the air. Planes overhead. Dick, more experienced in this, registered their presence several seconds earlier. Luftwaffe on the way. The deafening noise of the engines of the fast-approaching planes roaring louder and louder in the distance. Her eyes filled with terror as she looked at him desperately. Lurching forward, he grabbed the lapel of her army coat, pulling her onto the ground. As the first planes roared overhead, the sound of gunshots following suit, he threw himself on top of her, trying to keep her as covered as possible. As the ground shook around them, she held tightly onto him, her fingers almost tearing at the fabric of his clothes. Memories of Bastogne raced through her head. However, she didn't scream. She knew she should be screaming for her life but, somehow, she felt safe lying underneath him.

"Roseanna," he whispered. "It's finished."

She'd seemingly zoned out, but snapped back to reality. Wordlessly, she nodded.

They didn't move for a few seconds, just stayed exactly as they were. Eventually Dick seemed to snap to his senses, rolling off of her onto his side, turning to face her. "Are you alright?"

She didn't reply, couldn't find her voice. Perhaps she was still dazed.

It concerned him. "Roseanna, are you alright?"

She rolled onto her side too, facing him. Their eyes instantly found each other, electricity crackling between them, all that stirred emotion from the attack. She felt goosebumps all over her body, her heart thumping as she slowly put a hand on his lapel, letting it travel all the way up until it rested on his cheek. "Dick…please kiss me."

He didn't reply for he, too, had become lost in her eyes. He knew he shouldn't, though.

"_Please_," she said again, almost pleading, her eyes grown big and lustful.

His resolve weakened and, slowly, he pulled her towards him, their lips slowly meeting in a single, tingling lip peck. Pulling back, they looked at each other again, studying each others' face. Within seconds, he'd pulled her to him again, this time in a passionate, searing kiss, his hand firmly holding onto her waist. For fifteen seconds they were both spirited away, but no longer than that. Suddenly, the sound of approaching feet forced them apart, both staring at the entrance, panicked. Suddenly, Nix appeared, squinting at both of them, too much in work mode to notice the position they were in. "You both okay?"

It was Dick that found his voice first, quickly scrambling to his feet and, with a strong arm, hoisting Roseanna to hers as well. He looked at Nix, dusting the snow off of his coat. "We're fine, Nix. All clear?"

"Pretty sure, yeah," Nix nodded in reply.

Dick breathed heavily, passing a fleeting glance over to Roseanna. "In any case, it's proof that this was a mistake, having Roseanna out here. Nix, get an orderly to prepare my jeep so that I can drive her back."

Roseanna still didn't say anything, didn't protest, probably still too dazed. From the attack? From the kiss? Both?

………………

What seemed like merely moments later she was sitting in the passenger seat of a U.S Army jeep, her hands stuffed into her pocket as she watched Dick put the keys into the ignition. He was about to start the engine up when yells came from nearby.

"Wait! Wait!" Eugene's voice sounded out. Suddenly, he became visible, approaching them, dragging Joe Toye with him by the arm. As they approached, she saw blood streaming out of Toye's other arm.

"You got hit, Toye?" Dick asked, leaning forward in his chair to look at the Sergeant's bloody arm.

"Yes, Sir," Toye said, waving his other hand dismissively. "It's not as bad as the doc's making out, though."

"He needs to get it dressed," Eugene said firmly, motioning the order for Toye to get into the backseat of the truck.

"Doc's right, Eugene," Dick said, his word being final. "Jump in."

Sighing frustratedly, Toye climbed onto the jeep and flopped down onto the seat.

"Anyone else hit, Doc?" Dick asked Eugene, concerned.

"No, Sir," Eugene shook his head. He held out a large wad of bandage to Roseanna.

"What's this?" she asked, frowning.

"Hold this against his arm, please," Eugene instructed as she took it out of his hand. "Stop the blood."

Wordlessly, she nodded, looking wistfully at Dick before joining Toye in the back seat, holding the bandage against his arm. He winced, she apologised.

Suddenly, Dick turned the key and the jeep roared into life. As he began to take them all in the direction of the hospital, she touched her lips gently with her free hand, still tingling from the kiss.

When they pulled to a stop at the hospital, the small team of doctors, who'd been having a quick cigarette outside, sprang to attention, as they'd become programmed to. Even more fuss was caused by other patients who started to arrive. Apparently the Luftwaffe hadn't just shot at them, funnily enough. As she'd been holding the compress to his arm, she became caught in the middle of the hub. Such a commotion it was, that she missed Dick as she discreetly drove off, without so much as a goodbye.


	11. Chapter 11 Ne'erday

**Falling Star- Chapter 11**

……………………….

_**January 1**__**st**__**, 1945**_

"_Roseanna," Renée's hoarse, pain-filled voice rasped out between breaths. "Help…me…"_

Roseanna sat bolt upright in her head, putting a hand to her head. Damn nightmares. How many more nights would she have to have this play out over and over and over? As she climbed out of bed, she thought bitterly to herself that not even her New Year's Eve kiss with Dick had kept the dreams at bay. Now awake, she had time to mull it over. How bittersweet it had been. A kiss that she knew within herself, despite a small, foolish optimism inside of her, would lead to nothing. Pulling back the drape of her "room", she looked longing at the open canvas flap at the opposite end, leading to the fresh air that she craved so much. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a familiar face, sitting up in his cot, pulling and fussing at the bandage wrapped around his arm, irritated. What was his name again? Joe Toye? She frowned at him.

"Hey," she said, unable to stop herself. She pointed to him pulling at his bandage, holding up a warning hand. "You shouldn't do that."

He stopped as she spoke to him, slowly looking up, a blank look on his face. He knew her, but his mood didn't help his manners. "You a nurse on the side, Miss Caine?"

"No," She shot back, not happy at being spoken to like that. "But I have enough common sense to know that you shouldn't interfere with a bandage. It won't heal if you don't leave it alone."

"Thanks for the tip," he said dryly, averting his eyes from her pointedly.

"Have a nice day," she mumbled, turning on her heel.

"Sorry," He called after her, making her turn around again. "I didn't mean to bite your head off or anything like that."

"It's fine," She lied, taking a tentative step towards him, testing the waters. "Arm still sore? Didn't they give you any morphine?"

"No," He nodded his head. "They gave me some, not that you could tell. This damn bandage is itching to hell."

"Maybe it's too tight," She suggested, merely throwing out ideas. "Or not tight enough…or something like that."

"Maybe it's good you're not a nurse," he joked under his breath, amusedly. She heard him though, flashing him a look, but offering a small smile all the same.

"Think you'll be here for long?" She asked, twiddling her thumbs.

"Shit, I hope not," He said, a horrified look on his face at the thought. "I don't know how you can stand this place day in and day out. It's so…."

"…mind-numbingly depressing?" She finished for him, provoking a smile out of him and a concordant nod. "Who says I can? Why'd you think I try to come out and visit you guys when I can?"

"Well," he clucked his tongue. "According to George Luz, the reason you do that is…."

"Luz!" She interrupted him, seething. She'd kill him when she got the chance.

"No, that's Joe Toye," Dick's gentle yet assertive voice drifted from behind them, attempting to crack a little introductory joke.

She turned round in surprise, finding herself unable to look at him. "I know, I meant…never mind. Morning, Captain Winters."

"Miss Caine," he nodded, staring past her at Joe. "How's the arm, Joe?"

"I'm fine, Captain," he lied, putting on a brave face for his superior. "I don't even feel it, honestly. I don't even need to be here."

Roseanna looked at him, _Liar_.

"Well, stay here for a couple of days, rest up, then you can come back," Winters commanded gently, nodding at the bedridden Sergeant.

"Sir," Toye grumbled, mentally cursing.

"Miss Caine," Dick turned his attention to her, taking on an official tone of voice. "Could I speak to you outside a moment? I have some things to discuss with you."

"Oh," She said, taken aback, searching desperately for a twinkle or…anything…in his eyes. Nothing. "Okay."

Bidding Toye a good day, Dick motioned for her to step outside, following one pace behind her.

"How's the hip?" He asked casually as she gingerly sat down on the brick wall just outside.

"Fine," She said blankly, summoning the courage to look into his eyes. _He came here to ask me about my hip?_

"So," he said, exhaling deeply into the fresh air, a visible cloud in the wake of the freezing temperature. "Hopefully after last night you've been put off venturing out to the line to see us?"

"Perhaps for a while," She joked, nervously testing the waters. "…it wasn't all bad, though."

He didn't respond, just offered her an awkward, slight upturn of the lips. Could you even call that a smile?

Roseanna frowned, her heart heavy. It told her everything she needed to know. "Well…I take it you meant everything that you said, last night?"

"Unfortunately," He nodded, his cheeks pinking ever so slightly as he gazed out into the thick mass of trees in front of them.

"So nothing can really happen…here?" She uttered quietly, seemingly losing every ounce of confidence she had within her.

"Think about it," He said supportively, awkwardly trying to make light of the situation. "It's not exactly an ideal setting."

Trying to ignore his blatant brush-off, she put everything she had on the table, the little glimmer of hope still alight inside her. "Do you, at the very least, feel…_anything_ for me?"

He didn't reply, just put on his most official face, seemingly trying to ignore her question. He didn't need to say anything, she could see it in his eyes. Or, at least, she thought, no, _hoped_, that she could.

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat on the wall, putting on a brave face of her own. "I'll just take the kiss as a freebie, then."

"Well," He said abruptly, clapping his hands together amicably, his eyes glassed over. He indicated to his parked jeep. "I have to get back out there."

"Alright," She said, defeated, heavy-hearted. As she watched him leave she felt so empty and heavy-hearted. "Dick!"

"Yes?" He asked, turning round to face her.

Part of her wanted to quiz him further, ask about that letter. Did he have a sweetheart back home? If they hadn't been in this situation, would he think differently? Her mind raced, but her head told her to stop, that it was all worthless. She really wanted to get out of there right that second. She looked at him, trying to conceal her sadness, asking emptily. "Any news on when I can get out of here?"

He could've explained to her about Foy, but he knew it would mean nothing to her. Instead, he decided to lie, to give her some hope. "Always progress. I'll let you know."

"You do that," She said, standing up, giving him the best smile she could muster (which wasn't a big one). Taking a deep breath, she began to walk back towards the canvas tent, tossing quietly over her shoulder. "Good day, Captain."

It was probably the first time she hadn't enquired casually as to when he'd be back again. What was the point? He'd made himself clear, and what else could she do but respect his reasons? They were noble and, much as she hated to admit it, his principles were admirable. However, all that considered, being the pampered starlet that she was, she wasn't generally used to being refused, especially when it was something (or someone, in this case) that she really wanted, so she wasn't prepared for this feeling. It hurt, hurt even more now than Christmas Eve because now she had her definitive rejection. She decided then and there that it would be better to keep herself to herself, here in this hospital, and attempt to keep a distance from him.

As she walked back to her compartment where her intention was to close the drapes and shut herself off, she caught Toye's eye. His brow furrowed as he looked at her face, which must have paled or something to get that kind of reaction from him. Before he could say anything, she shook her head warningly at him. "_Don't_ ask."

……………………..

_**2nd January, 1945- 9 a.m.**_

"Hey," Toye's voice rung out from the other side of his drape, his burling shadow against the white sheet giving his identity away as much as his voice. "Are you in there?"

Roseanna rolled her eyes as she lay on her back on her bed, looking up at the ceiling. "Have you seen me leave at all since yesterday, Sergeant?"

"Actually, no," His surprised reply came from the other side. "Don't you ever have to pee?"

"Can I help you?" She asked bluntly, rolling onto her stomach as she ignored his blunt question.

"Mind if I come in?" He asked politely.

"Sure, go ahead," she said, sitting up quickly and attempting to compose himself.

Slowly, the flap dew back and Joe Toye entered. Immediately she noticed his arm in a sling. "That's new."

"Yeah, turns out they think it might be fractured after all," he explained, nonplussed, ever-eager to show it didn't hurt.

"Explains why it didn't feel right, I suppose," she mused, motioning for him to sit down on the crate at the end of her bed. "What can I do for you?"

He flopped down on the crate with a thump and a long, exasperated sigh. "I gotta get outta here, seriously."

"But you're not ready to leave," she said pointedly, poking at his arm.

"I don't care," he shook his head firmly. "I can't stay here anymore."

She just looked at him, pursing her lips. She knew soldiers could be stubborn. "Well, why are you in here bending my ear about it…no disrespect, but why don't you just sneak out?"

"The doc loitering by the door," Joe admittedly, almost embarrassed. "Tried to get past him but he stopped me. Have you seen that guy?! Built like a fuckin' tank…'scuse my language. God knows why they got him in here and not out there with a gun."

"Which one?" she asked, frowning.

"Huge shoulders, shaved head,"

"Aah, Hillman," She said, recognising the doctor he was talking about. "Yeah, I wouldn't mess with him. I have to ask again though…what do you want me to do about it?"

"I thought you could just…y'know…distract him while I sneak out behind him," Joe suggested, flashing her a smile.

She instantly shook her head. "No, Joe, I don't want to get involved. I don't want to make things harder on myself here, and the last thing I need is Hillman giving me a hard time."

"Oh, come on," Joe pleaded, changing tactics. "Bill said you were nice."

"Nice?"

"Yeah, y'know…kind," he said, buttering her ego.

She was onto him. "Don't try and guilt me into it."

"Oh come," He threw his good hand in the air exasperatedly. "I'm gonna lose my mind if I stay here a second longer, and all you have to do is just ask him how he's doing or, I don't know, sing him a song…whatever it takes."

"Fine," she gave in, if only to shut him up. "But you owe me one."

"Anything you need," Joe smiled his gratitude, holding the drape open for her.

Casually, she strolled up to the well-built medic sitting by the door, studying some forms intently. She wandered up to him, trying to look casual. She coughed loudly to get his attention. Nothing. _Ahem_, she coughed louder. Nothing. She rolled her eyes at Joe, who loitered slightly in the distance, shooting her a look to try harder. Searching for an idea, she automatically put her hand out, sticking her knee out onto the crate his form were delicately lain on, her hand following, sending them flying on the floor.

"For Christ Sake!" Hillman shouted, flashing his eyes at her in anger.

"Oh!" She put a hand to her chest, feigning panic. "I'm _so_ sorry. How clumsy of me!"

She shot a look at Joe, giving him the all clear. He returned a look of gratitude and mouthed _thank you_, before slipping outside and into the frosty morning.

_God Speed Joe,_ she thought to herself as she bent down to pick up the strewn paper.

……………………

**Sorry for this short chapter, but I didn't really have the drive to write today but I wanted to get a chapter out before the weekend ended and I had a plan for this so I just followed it as best as possible. Hope you enjoy it anyway**


	12. Chapter 12 Bill and Joe

**Falling Star Chapter 12**

Hello there my fellow BoB lovers! Wow, chapter 12 already. I'm loving writing this story and I hope you're all enjoying reading it still. Thank you so much to everyone that's commented and/or added this story to their favourites/alert list. Much appreciated and it spurs me on immensely in writing it :D.

Sorry I've been a bit slower with the updates this week but I went to see the new Harry Potter the other day and I loved it, haha. Thus, it's been a bit hard for me to think of other things, cos every time I've tried to write about BoB I've been thinking about Harry Potter…and I thought that could confuse me quite a bit, probably start writing about Guarnere flying around the Ardennes on a broomstick. Not good.

……………………………………….

_**January 3**__**rd**__**, 1945**_

"Get me out of here. I want to go hoooooooome, where I promise that I'll always stay and never again want to roammmm…," Roseanna sang quietly to herself, tapping her fingers off of her stomach as she lay on her bed. Frowning she shook her head at the song she was trying to write. Smirking to herself, she began to sing quietly. "I miss home so much, I'd do anything to get there. Maybe I'll even hug Lola…no, that's going a _bit_ too far!"

"Dulcet tones, dulcet," a voice came from beyond her room drape. She saw the shadow the person was on the drape, the shadow wiggling slightly as the person shook the curtain, perhaps to simulate knocking or ringing a bell. "Roseanna?"

"Hi, Private Vest. Come in!" she called out, pulling herself off of the bed and onto her feet. Slowly, she padded over to the drape, pulling it back, just at the same time as Vest had made his entry into the room. The two smacked together, falling backwards with a shout of pain as Vest's mail sack fell to the floor, spilling it's contents on the floor.

"I'm so sorry," she said, clutching her still-bandaged head, which throbbed now from this new collision. She bent down and began helping him pick up the letters, which had sprayed out everywhere. "Are you alright? Let me help you?"

"I'm fine," he smiled, picking up letters. "Mom always said I had a head like a wooden plank, so if anything I should be asking you if _you're _alright!"

"I'm fine," she nodded, placing the last of the letters back into his sack. Putting a hand onto her hip, she slowly righted herself. "What can I do for you, Allen?"

"Oh!" Vest said, snapping back to earth with his question. He opened his sack. "I found some letters addressed to you so I just mixed them in with Easy's, figurin' I'd just drop them to you myself. Shit, now I gotta go through this sack again. It's fine though, they were different from the others. Brown envelopes instead of white. Ah, here we are."

He handed her two medium-sized brown envelopes. Her mood picked right up, _2 letters_! "Thanks, Vest."

Vest peered over, looking at the covers in the most unsubtle way possible. She arched an eyebrow at him, smiling at his gall. "…Vest? Curiosity killed the cat, you know."

"Oh," he snapped back to earth, blushing. "Sorry. Can't help being nosy. It's hard being in charge of all these letters and not getting to know what any of them say."

"I can imagine," she said sarcastically, putting a hand on his shoulder, clutching her letters protectively in her other hand.

"Well, anyway," he said, grabbing his sack. "I better get going ma'am, think the other fellas could use being cheered up by letters of their own. Have a good day."

"Bye, Allen," she called after him. When he was gone, she sat down on her bed, laying out along the length of it, fluffing up the pillow behind her head. When she was comfortable, she held up her letters, looking at the writing on the front. Looking at the first one, goosebumps formed on her arm and she sat bolt upright. It wasn't addressed to her…it was addressed to Dick. Not only that, she squinted at it…it was written in that same female handwriting as before. Jealousy surged through her, and she hated it. She looked skywards. "Is someone up there doing this on purpose?"

She looked at it, wanting _so_ much to know what it said. She pursed her lips, she could always open it. Dick didn't know he'd received the letter so he'd never know she'd read it. _No_, she scolded herself, _what a terrible thing to think…just put it somewhere safe until you can arrange to have it sent to him_. But then again, she was right though. He _wouldn't_ ever know. She was appalled at herself. It was as though she had an angel over one shoulder and a devil over the other. Her curiosity being so intense, she put a finger on the corner, ready to tear it open. _NO, _a voice in her head screamed at her. Letting out a frustrated little scream, she stuffed the letter under her pillow. Out of sight out of mind. She closed her eyes and breathed for a few seconds, letting herself calm down. When her heart had stopped racing at the reminder of Dick, she reached over for the second letter, hoping to God that this one _was_ actually meant for her. It was. She recognised the writing as being from her grandmother. Her heart leapt, and in seconds she'd torn the envelope open, letting the letter fall out onto the bed. Gingerly, she picked it up and started to unfold the neatly folded paper. She breathed in. It smelled of her grandmother's perfume. She giggled, knowing why this was. Her grandmother put so much perfume on her wrists every day that she left her scent on almost everything she laid her arm down on. She began to read:

_My Dearest Roseanna,_

_How are you my darling girl? We hope everything is going well out there. We think it's incredibly brave that you opted to visit the troops over Christmas, what a charitable thing to do for all of those soldiers away from him at this special time of year. We couldn't believe our ears when Anna told us all of this. Your mother would have been so proud of you, although I'm sure she would have acted disappointed because it is such a dangerous thing to do, yet under it all she would have been so proud. We're very worried for your safety, but proud just the same. Proud as we are, we're very sad that we didn't get to spend Christmas with you as planned. Not to worry, though- we'll recreate it all when you get back entirely. Tree, turkey and all the trimmings. Anna says that you won't be able to get home for a while, so just bear that thought in mind to get you through and get you back to us. Just know that you've still got Christmas with us to look forward to. Chin up out there, and God speed you back to us._

All of our love my darling,

_Gramps and Grammy._

Choked up with emotion, Roseanna felt her eyes well up. Pulling the sheet of her bed back, she climbed in and pulled it over her hand, clutching the letter close to her face, breathing in the perfume as fat tears began to roll down her face. For that moment there, she wasn't even thinking about the letter under her pillow anymore.

………………………

_**January 4**__**th**__**, 1945- 9 a.m.**_

Roseanna groggily opened an eye, waiting until she had her bearings until sitting up in her bed, blearily rubbing an eye. She looked at her army wristwatch. Goodness, 9a.m! She looked down at the letter still clutched in her hand tightly. She was amazed that the letter had spurred her into such a deep sleep. The emotional power it had had. Yawning, she folded it neatly and put it back in the brown envelope it had come in, which she found lying discarded on the floor. As she tucked it away safely, the sight of the brown envelope reminded her of the one lying under her pillow. Lifting it up, she nodded. Yep, still there. She had to battle momentarily again with a strong desire to open it that coursed through her body. _No!_

"Jesus Christ! Who does a guy have to talk to to get some hard liquor around here when he's in a state like this?!" An all-too-familiar voice boomed out from nearby her little compartment, making her head whip around to listen intently. "I know it's only 9 in the goddamn mornin' but _Christ_!"

"Bill?" She whispered to herself, furrowing her brow as she threw back the sheet and climbed to her feet. She lurched across the room, yanking back her drape and poking her head out. Merely a few yards away, yes, Bill Guarnere lay on a small army cot, sitting up with folded arms with a dissatisfied look on his face and he tugged at the grubby, brown sheet covering him. She said louder, surprised. "Bill?!"

It caught his attention. He turned his head to look at her, a smile appearing on his face. "Hey, look who it is!!"

She ignored his warm welcome, too concerned with what the hell he was doing here. She rushed over to his bedside, pulling up a crate. "What the hell are you doing here? Are you okay?!"

He opened his mouth to explain, but he didn't know how to break it gently to this pampered princess gently, so he found himself just staring down towards his leg, which wasn't visible, covered conveniently by the sheet. She followed his gaze, her hand automatically reaching for it, attempting to pull it back and have a look. Quickly, he grabbed her hands in his stronger ones, gently pulling them away from the sheet. He shook his head at her. "Nothing there you want to see, kid. Nothin' there for you to see…literally."

She looked at him, confused. She put her hands over her mouth as her eyes widened in surprise. She got it, she understood. "Your…your leg? You…lost…?"

"Yeah, _we_ did," he said, shaking his head frustrated.

"_We_?" She echoed, confused. She followed his gaze to the cot next to him, nearly jumping off of the crate when she saw Joe Toye, lying covered with a sheet like Bill, soundly asleep. "Shit…. Joe too?"

"Fraid so, Sweetheart," Bill said, shaking his head again.

"My God…," She whispered, putting her hands over her face, paling. "How…how…_when…_when did this happen?"

"Yesterday evenin'," He explained, answering that question as opposed to the _how_ one she'd asked. She didn't need to know about that. He looked sympathetically at his sleeping buddy just inches away. "Joe just got back from the hospital too, went AWOL."

Realisation flooded her, she'd helped him do that! "I know."

"Hey, hey," he put a hand on her arm, watching her visibly shaking in her seat. He attempted a joke to cheer her up. "Settle down, Sweetheart. I'm the one with the missing leg, here!"

"Doesn't it hurt?" She frowned at him, wondering how he could be so relaxed at a time like this, wondering if he was just masking it.

"Not really anymore," he shook his head, quipping. "God bless morphine, I'll tell ya! Could use some of the hard stuff though, purely for medicinal purposes of course. Take the edge off, ya know?"

She offered him a smile at that statement. What a trooper. "So, what now? Are they going to get you both out of here somehow?"

"Tomorrow," he nodded, looking down at his hands slightly wistfully.

She couldn't help but mutter dryly. "How come they can get you both out of here so easily, but me…"

"Hey," He whipped his head back to look at her, having to stop himself from laughing at that little flash of selfishness. Offering her a pointed smile, he motioned down to his leg. "Can we focus, here?"

"Sorry, sorry!" She waved her hands apologetically. She put a hand over his, looking sympathetically into his eyes. "At least…at least you get to go home, I guess. See your family."

"Yeah, true. I gotta be thankful for that," He nodded in agreement, scratching his cheek. She could swear she saw a mischievous twinkle in his eye as he added. "Still, I have to say…I wasn't _quite_ done with Jerry yet!"

She burst out laughing, putting a hand over her mouth to cover the outburst. She smiled affectionately at him. "I'm sure you gave _Jerry_ plenty of hell, Bill."

"Yeah well," He flexed a muscle jokingly. "They don't call me Wild Bill Guarnere for nothin'."

"People call you Wild Bill Guarnere?" She asked, frowning in confusion. "Why?"

"Uh…," he looked around, putting her hand dismissively. "…never mind."

…………………………………….

She'd left Bill to get some sleep, opting to go outside and sit for a while, trying to get her head around everything. She was intensely annoyed that these things kept happening to these good men. Still, that was war, and evidently it was beyond her simple comprehension. She'd been outside for about an hour, simply lost in her thoughts, when she began to be aware of the chill. Wrapping her coat tightly around her, she wandered back inside. As she approached her compartment, she glanced over at Bill and Joe, heads on their pillows. She noticed, out of the corner of her eye, that Joe had already woken up and was staring up at the ceiling. Her heart sank. Part of her, feeling guilty, didn't want to face him but her feet involuntarily led her over to him. He saw her approaching, slowly pulling himself up to a sitting position. He offered her a smile, nodding politely at her. "Roseanna."

"Hi, Joe," she said simply, sitting next to him on a crate, folding her arms tightly over her chest. A silence spread between them.

"Back so soon, huh?" He said, attempting to crack a joke.

"So I see," She said quietly, glancing nervously at him. "How…how do you feel?"

"Like my leg just got blown off," He said, smiling sarcastically at her.

She didn't smile back, just looked down at her shoes. "I'm so sorry Joe."

"What are _you_ sorry for?" he frowned at her. "Did you fire the shell or something?"

"Don't joke," she scolded him, looking up. "I feel so bad!"

"…why?"

"Because!" She stamped a foot on the ground uncontrollably. "If I hadn't helped you sneak out of here then this could've all been avoided." She glanced at Bill, sadly. "Well, maybe it _all_ couldn't have been avoided, but at least you wouldn't have gotten hurt. That would've been something, at least."

Joe looked at her sympathetically. He didn't have the heart to tell her that Bill had actually lost his leg trying to help him. "Hey, don't you worry about that, alright? I asked you to help me, remember?"

"I know, I know," she looked down, frustrated. "But you weren't ready to leave, still injured. I knew that but I still helped you. I should've had the backbone to just say no to you."

"Don't give yourself so much credit," he rolled his eyes, smiling as he put his hand over hers. "I asked you to help me, but even if you'd said no I'd have found a way out of here myself. Trust me."

She grumbled in response.

"Forget about it Roseanna, you're wasting your time feeling guilty," he mused, looked past her and out of the open tent flap, watching the snow fall. "I think that was meant to happen or somethin'."

"How do you figure?" She asked, curious.

"My number's almost been up quite a few times now," he said, turning back to look at her. "Ever since the first day we landed in France. This time I just ran outta luck, I s'pose."

…………………………

That night, Roseanna lay in bed wide awake until everything had gone quiet around her, save for the usual moan and groan of pain coming from the injured, bedridden soldiers. You could never shut those off, poor things. When she was confident that everyone had settled for the night and that the doctors had clocked off duty, probably sleep in their own little sectioned off compartment nearby, getting some precious hours sleep before the guaranteed mania of the next working day, she crept quietly out of bed, poking her head just to confirm that all was well. Satisfied, she reached for her army coat, checking that the object she'd hidden in it earlier was still there. Carefully, she carried that bundled coat out of the tent, creeping up to Bill's cot. She smiled when she saw that he was still awake, as she'd instructed him to. He was engrossed in a book. As she got closer, she noticed that it was The Great Gatsby. _Her_ copy of it, in fact.

"Where'd you get that?!" She asked, alerting her presence.

He looked up at her, alerted by the sound of her voice. He closed the book. "Guy two beds down gave it to me. Said you've been reading it to them. Figured I'd see what the fuss was all about."

"And?" She asked interestedly as she sat next to his bed. "What do you think?"

"Mehhh," he shrugged his shoulders, flashing her a cheeky smile as he set it at the side of his bed. "I've read better."

"Lies," she smiled, pulling her crate chair in closer.

He eyed the bundled coat in her arms. "Did you get it? Tell me I've forced myself to stay awake this long for good reason?"

"I never disappoint, Bill," She smiled mischievously as she opened the coat, revealing a bottle of stolen hospital hooch.

His eyes lit up as he took it off of her, studying it. "Excellent. How'd you get it?"

"Oh you know," She mockingly flipped her hair, which she was wearing loose that night, behind her shoulders. She put on a seductive voice. "Just used my feminine wiles on the doc lurking around the store room to get past. The rest, as they say, is history."

"My, my," he winked at her, pulling the stopper out of the bottle and take a deep breath of it's scent. "Aaaaah, beautiful."

She reached out and put a finger over the top of the bottle, denying him access. "Don't drink it all. I'd feel guilty not all of these guys got some."

"Please," he rolled his eyes, gently moving her finger out of the way. "It's me an' Joe who've put in the serious damn hours here, most of these other guys are just damn replacements."

She laughed at this, but shot a warning finger at him. "But still, not all of it, Bill!"

"Alright, alright," he agreed, rolling his eyes again. He looked around, furrowing his brow. "Hmm, we seem to be out of glasses."

"Just drink from the bottle," she waved a hand dismissively. "I'm not fussy when it comes to drinking from the same bottle."

"Huh," he raised an eyebrow, interested, as he took a deep swig from the bottle. "I wouldn't have guessed that."

"Calling me prissy?" she challenged, snatching the bottle from his hand and taking a gulp of her own.

"You called yourself that," he smiled devilishly. "I didn't do a thing. Although, admittedly, I _did_ assume that you starlet types would all be high-maintenance broads. S'pose you proved me wrong there."

"I like to think I'm not like that," she said, drinking again from the bottle and grimacing at the taste. "Well, I suppose I am a little…."

"That's women for ya," Bill joked, cowering jokingly as she playfully hit him.

"Shush," she said, shaking her head at him.

"You gonna hog that bottle all night?" He said, motioning for her to give it back to him. "I'm the guy with one leg here, ya know."

"I still can't believe it," she shook her head disbelievingly, already feeling the effects of the hooch kicking in. She looked at him, giving him the bottle. "You know, I think I'm starting to feel this already!"

………………………

_**One Hour Later**_

"So, all I'm saying is…," Bill slurred. "If you happen to be in that part of town, don't go there…it's not worth it. That pain, definitely not worth it. Especially somewhere cold like Bastogne."

Roseanna fought back her laughter at the story he'd just told. "Not that I'd ever be there in the near future Bill, but I can't see why I'd go to a whorehouse anyway, much less one called Lulu's!"

"It wasn't a whorehouse!" He cried defensively, realising how loud he was being to the sleeping patients around him and quickly lowering his voice. "Honest, it wasn't!"

"Oh yeah?" She challenged. "Then what else do you call it?"

"Uh…anyway…," he changed the subject quickly. "Either way, it put me off that kinda woman."

"Well, at least you learned an important lesson," She patted his shoulder supportively, unable to hide her huge grin. "I would've thought that you'd already have someone waiting for you back home in good old Philly."

"Well," he said, a sparkle in his eye.

"You do!" Her eyes lit up excitedly, grasping the near-empty hooch bottle in her hand. "Who is she?"

"A girl…," he said simply, shrugging his shoulders.

"Well," she rolled her eyes. "I figured that much. Tell me about her."

"Her name's Frannie," he explained, clearly not wanting to give _too_ much away about her, perhaps wanting to keep some of the memory for himself and himself alone. "She lives near me and I've known her for a long time, all my life almost. Beautiful woman, with all the charm and sass to match, or, hell, even rival, mine."

"Sounds perfect for you," Roseanna smiled dreamily, the hooch making her extra sentimental.

"Yeah, well…," He admitted, taking the bottle off her and taking a swig. "It's not that serious, not right now anyway. As for the future? We'll see…"

"Grab it," she said, grabbing his hands and looking into his eyes imploringly. "If you…if you…if you like someone that much, you shouldn't _ever_ let them get away!"

"Christ," he said, studying her eyes as he gently released his hands from her tight grasp. "No more hooch for you, Roseanna."

"Sorry," she blushed. "I'm a bit of a lightweight."

"What about you," He said, turning the tables on her. "Don't you got some movie star waiting for you back home, or has Floyd's charm done the trick?"

"Floyd," she echoed fondly, shaking her head. "No. And no to the movie star, either."

"No one?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow.

She paused for a moment, then resolutely shook her head.

"No one at all?" he repeated, as though he was leading somewhere with his question.

"Something you want to ask, Bill?" She said, squinting at him.

"No, no," he held up his hands dismissively, then, changing his mind, spurred on by the hooch probably, nodded. "It's just I heard, through the grapevine, that you and Captain Wi-…"

"Luz!" She interrupted, crying out that name for the second time a few days. She didn't even need to ask, she knew it was him who'd run his mouth again when she'd specifically asked him not to. She'd kill him when she saw him next.

"No, not Luz," Bill frowned. "I heard it was Captain Winters."

"Luz told you though, right?"

"Well, yeah…," Bill nodded, folding his arms, curiously, tucking the bottle under his underarm. "So…is it true?"

"It's…," she squirmed uncomfortably in her chair, wanting to divulge everything thanks to the hooch but, in the back of her mind, knowing that she shouldn't.

"Go on," he said, putting on a sympathetic face. "How can you refuse gossip to a guy who just lost his leg?!"

She laughed, crossing her legs and leaning forward. "It's nothing. It's _honestly_ nothing…unfortunately. Captain Winters isn't looking for anything out here…."

Bill snorted with laughter.

"What?" she frowned.

"Shit, even I coulda told you that?" Bill told her sympathetically. "Guy's married to his job, far as I can tell. Not that any of us mind that, he's a damn good captain and he was a brilliant C.O for Easy."

"Mmm," She just nodded, looking down.

He grimaced, _probably not the best thing to say_. "Don't worry though, I'm sure he'll have plenty of time for broads after the war's over."

"I kissed him," she blurted out, instantly covering her mouth in shock as the words escaped her lips.

"No shit?" Bill whistled, impressed. "When?"

"In the Ardennes, on New Year's Eve just before the shelling."

"Floyd would be so crushed…he wanted to be your New Year's Eve kiss. Poor bastard." Bill joked, amused. "Well, I'd take my helmet off to you if it hadn't gotten blown away in the blast in the forest…making Winters think about something other than strategies and casualty lists for at least a second."

"Hey," she joked, defensively. "It was more like a minute!"

"A minute?" Bill said, feigning shock. "Jesus Christ!"

She smiled for a second before it tapered off. "Still, it doesn't mean anything. He told me that nothing was going to happen between us. Besides, I think he has someone back home. I found this letter with female handwriting on it that was addressed to him and…well…it sure didn't look like a mother's handwriting."

Bill stroked her hand sympathetically. "We're in the thick of war, maybe he'll be a changed man when things start to ease off. A real Cassanova."

"Dick?" she arched an eyebrow. "I doubt that. No, I'm just trying to forget."

He let out a dry laugh.

"What?" She asked, interested.

"Nothing," he shook his head. "It's just kinda…funny. You're famous and a real looker, not that I want to inflate your ego or anything…but you could probably get with any guy, 'cept that the _one_ guy that you want…."

"Yeah, thanks Bill," she said dryly, placing a finger over his mouth to shut him up. "I've already had that going through my head a dozen time."

"What? That you could get with any guy?" Bill challenged jokingly rolling his eyes. "Gallous."

"No," she shook her head, embarrassed. "I didn't mean that part, just the part about me wanting him and him not wanting me."

"Plenty more fish in the sea, kid," Bill said, trying to cheer her up, handing her back the bottle, which had only enough left for one more swig. "And hey, at least you know Floyd will always be available."

"Thanks Bill," she said, dryly, refusing the bottle from him. "No, you have the last sip."

"Well if, in the end, he _doesn't_ want to be with you then you can rest easy knowing that he's insane and it never woulda worked," Bill joked. "Cos he's crazy if he doesn't want to be with you."

"Hey," Joe's voice came from behind the, groggy with sleep. "What's going on here?"

"Hey buddy," Bill looked over at him. "Thought you were gonna be out all night there."

"No such luck," Joe sat up, rubbing his bleary eyes. He noticed the bottle tucked back under Bill's underarm. "Hey, what are we drinkin'?"

"Oh," Bill said, remembering the bottle and pulling it out, frowning as he saw that it was empty. "Uh, sorry Joe…looks like we're not drinking anything anymore."

……………………………….

_**January 5**__**th**__**, 1945**_

Roseanna shivered in the cold outside of the canvas tent, watching a van masquerading as an ambulance being prepared to transport Joe and Bill away along with some other patients who needed immediate transportation. She had no clue where they were going, but she was really going to miss them. She crouched between their flat stretchers, which lay on the ground, holding a hand of each of them.

"You two sure you have to go?" She asked, only half-joking.

"Course we do," Joe quipped. "Gotta free up the beds so they can be filled by some other poor bastards."

"Couldn't have said it better myself, Joe," Bill laughed, gripping her hand from the cold.

"Well, promise you'll write to me, at least," she said, her eyes darting back and forth between them. "_Both_ of you."

"I promise," Joe said, politely.

"What's it worth to ya?" Bill said, ever the joker.

"I'll take that as a yes, _Wild Bill_," she teased.

"Hey, you told her about that?" Joe asked, surprised. They'd been warned by Winters back at New Year to not tell her any gory war stories.

"No, I didn't," Bill corrected him.

"I'll find out one day," she threatened jokingly.

"Probably best if you don't, kid," Bill said sincerely, winking at her.

Suddenly a group of hospital orderlies began to hoist their stretchers onto the van. He heart sank, and she lurched towards it, standing at the edge to say her final goodbyes to them.

"You should come visit me in Philly if you ever make it back to the States, that is," Bill joked.

"I will," She shot back. "Hey, maybe I'll bring my dad so he can show me his hometown."

Bill's eyes lit up. "Hey yeah, do that! Bring him to my ma's house for dinner, she'd shit a brick!"

She laughed at his crude language. "Then it's a date."

"Miss, I have to close the doors now," One of the orderlies informed her. "The driver's ready to go."

"Oh, okay," she looked down, sadly, then suddenly remembered. She reached into her coat, pulling out her copy of The Great Gatsby. She handed it to Bill. "Finish it. I know you said you weren't enjoying it but just give it a chance, it's good. I promise."

"Okay, but I'm only doing this for you, I hope you appreciate that," Bill teased, tucking the book safely into his own pocket.

"Hey!" Joe piped up, pretending to be offended. "Where's _my_ present?"

"Oh," she said, thinking quickly. "It's a joint present. Bill will give it to you when he's finished reading it.

Joe rolled his eyes at the idea. "In that case I'll never get it. You know how long it takes him to read books?"

"Play nice, boys," Roseanna said, putting on a teacher-esque warning tone. An impatient cough from the orderly made her realise there was no more time left. She reached forward, taking both of their hands. "Safe journey home. Just enjoy being back with your friends and family, alright? And, Bill…make sure you tell Frannie exactly how you feel?"

"I will, I will," Bill said, blushing slightly. "And good luck with…_you know who_, huh."

"Thanks Bill," she smiled at him.

"_Who_?" Joe asked, confused.

Bill rolled his eyes at him as the orderly shut the door. From inside the ambulance she could hear Bill saying"Joe…you _know_ who!"

Joe shook his head. "_Who?"_

"The Captain, for Christ's sake! Remember what Luz said?!"

"Oh yeah," Joe said, it all coming back. He shouted out loudly so that she could hear despite the closed door. "Yeah, good luck with that!"

She didn't reply, just waved goodbye to Bill Guarnere and Joe Toye as the ambulance drove them away, away from the Ardennes, and away to safety.

……………………………….


	13. Chapter 13 Words She's Waited To Hear

**Falling Star Chapter 13**

…………………………..

_**January 6**__**th**__**, 1945- 11 p.m.**_

A manic screaming awoke Roseanna from her slumber, forcing her eyes to spring awake and to sit up quickly in her bed, scratching her head in confusion. It came again, and again, and again, faster and more desperate each time. _What was that?_ Throwing her legs over the side of the bed, she crept over to the drape, pulling it back ever-so-slightly to have a peek out. She could see several gravely-injured soldiers being transported in, some on stretchers, other merely slung over the shoulders of more able-bodied soldiers. Blood trickled everywhere. She blinked, it was none of the seriously-injured soldiers who were screaming manically, however, it was a perfectly unharmed soldier, sitting down on the ground squeezed into the corner of the tent. His face was pale, his hands covering his ears as he screamed and screamed bloodcurdlingly with wide, panicked eyes. Every hair on Roseanna's hair stood up on end. She was terrified. He looked utterly insane, like whatever he'd seen had made him lose his mind. As she closed to drape back over, just wishing that she could eliminate the sight from her mind as quickly as the noise, she began to tremble. Would she end up the same way in this place?

……………………………………..

_**January 9**__**th**__**, 1945**_

Roseanna sat outside on a cold afternoon. It must've been the coldest day so far that winter but, despite it all, the cold wind cleared her head immensely. She crossed her legs as she sat on the wall outside of the hospital, re-reading the letter from her Grandparents for what must've been the 100th time:

_We think it's incredibly brave that you opted to visit the troops over Christmas, what a charitable thing to do for all of those soldiers away from him at this special time of year. We couldn't believe our ears when Anna told us all of this._

Anna told her grandparents that being here was her choice? Why would she do that? To protect them? Maybe it was for the best. She heard, in the distance, the roar of approaching jeeps. She looked up, putting a hand above her eyes to shield them from the whipping snow, spotting a convoy of around three jeeps approaching. She watched them grow closer, pulling to a stop outside of the hospital. She exhaled sharply when she saw Dick, at least she was sure it was him underneath the thick scarf wrapped around the lower half of his face. Yes, it was definitely him. _Shit_. Her stomach lurched and her eyes darted around. She wanted desperately to run away and hide rather than face him. _Too late_, she thought bitterly as they made eye contact. She decided she had to face the music, she couldn't just run away now. As she walked over, she watched him hop out of the jeep, followed by another redhead who looked vaguely familiar to her. Dick leaned in and whispered something in his ear, patting him supportively on the back before pointing him in the direction of the hospital. The second redhead began to trudge towards the hospital. Dick's eyes moved back over to Roseanna's as she approached.

"Hello, Roseanna," He greeted her.

"Dick," She nodded politely, saying it as awkwardly as he'd greeted her. "How…how are you?"

"I'm…fine," He replied, looking down at the ground. "Thanks."

A silence spread over the both of them as they both searched desperately for something to say. She began to remark about how cold it was that day when he put a hand up to stop her, distracted by something in the distance behind her, as though someone had signalled him over. He offered her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Roseanna. I have to attend to something. Will you excuse me?"

"Oh…sure," she said, but he'd already began walking away to wherever he was needed.

She sighed, watching him go. He clearly didn't care at all.

"Roseanna," She heard a greeting coming from behind her. She turned round to see Eugene climbing down from the third truck in the back of the queue. He padded through the snow towards her. "How're things?"

"Hi Eugene," she smiled amicably, folding her arms and forcing a smile on her face. "Not bad, you?"

He nodded in reply to show he was okay, unable to speak for puffing on a cigarette. She'd never noticed that before.

"You smoke, Eugene?" She asked, surprised.

"Clearly," He smiled jokingly, holding up the cigarette.

"Hmm, I didn't know that. I didn't figure you would, being a doctor," she shrugged.

"Being a doctor?" He asked, confused, gripping the cigarette tightly between his cold, trembling fingers so that it wouldn't slip out.

"Yeah," she continued nonchalantly. "I remember reading a journal a couple of years ago that said a couple of German doctors found a link between smoking and cancer."

"German doctors, huh?" He eyed her, amused. "Why would we believe anything they got to say? Besides, Roseanna, I'm not a doctor, you know."

"You're not?" She arched an eyebrow at him. "But you work here as…"

He laughed at her ignorance. "As a medic, yes. But I was trained here, just a soldier like all the other guys, least that's how I applied anyway. They just decided for some reason that I'd be the one to bandage up the others."

"Oh," She said distractedly, focussing on Dick in the background as he spoke solemnly to several other men. Her stomach jumped as he looked over a her and they made eye contact. Gasping slightly, she turned back to Eugene, trying to focus. "I…uh…didn't know it was decided like that."

"Yeah, well…," he throw the cigarette butt onto the ground. "Someone's gotta do it, I suppose."

Trying hard not to look at Dick, she put a hand on Eugene arm, motioning them inside with her head. "Come on, let's go inside. You should take in some heat whilst you have the chance."

"I need supplies anyway," he said, following her inside.

"I should've guessed," She rolled her eyes, smiling. "That's the only reason you ever come here, Eugene."

As they entered the tent, she followed Eugene to the supply area towards the back. She noticed as he stopped for a moment, watching that second redheaded soldier that she'd seen. He was reading a letter, sitting by the bedside of another soldier, who was pale and lying curled up with a hand covering his face. She was intrigued by Eugene's expression as he looked at them, asking. "Who is he? He looks familiar. Actually, they both do."

"Malarkey," Eugene informed her, nonplussed. "He's here to see Lieutenant Compton who…who….hasn't been himself lately."

She continued to follow him to the supply area, pulling up a crate and taking a seat as he began to sort out what he needed, much to the chagrin of a nearby doctor. She picked up a box for him to pack the things into, holding it on her lap as he occasionally tossed in something that he needed.

"So…why hasn't he been the same?" She asked curiously, referring to Lt. Compton.

"Oh," He said, distractedly rummaging through boxes on the hunt for something. "He's been _elsewhere_ in general recently, but it was him who found Guarnere and Toye after their accident. They were close, so I think he's been a bit affected by it. He tried to carry on as normal for a few days after but it became obvious that he needed a rest. Toye and Guarnere were two sergeants in the company, by the way."

"I know," She nodded up at him. "I met them, spent time with them whilst they were here."

"You did?"

"Yes," she confirmed, nodding. "We had a good time, actually."

"A good time?" Eugene arched his eyebrow at her, pausing midway through rummaging through a box's contents. "They just lost a leg each!"

"Honestly," She explained. "They didn't seem too down about it, crazy as that sounds."

"Surprising," Eugene muttered to himself, getting back to the task at hand.

"I miss them actually," She continued, fiddling absent-mindedly with the corner of the box. "I made them promise to write to me."

Eugene laughed slightly to himself. "I would've thought you'd have correspondence coming out of your ears, never mind securing any more for yourself."

"No, Eugene. I don't write to anyone, actually, except family," She revealed.

"I would've thought people would've been clamouring to talk to you,"

"Yes…to talk to me about my father, about Lola, about whether I've met Frank Sinatra…not real friends, Eugene. Actually, I don't have many friend. Hardly any, if I'm honest. That's why I had so much fun talking to Bill and Joe…we spoke about everything else apart from that kind of thing. Really down-to-earth guys," She rushed out all at once.

"I suppose money doesn't buy you everything, then," Eugene mused, adding the last bits and pieces to the box in her lap.

"Exactly Eugene," She said distractedly, a thought entering her head as she saw Dick walk past the front entrance to the tent. She took the box off of her lap, setting it down carefully on the floor. "Excuse me, Eugene."

She walked into her compartment, reaching under her pillow for the letter. The letter she'd been aching to read but had managed somehow to be strong enough not to. She sighed heavily, knowing that she might as well give it to him now. Who knew, she might never see him again. She rushed through the tent outside, where she found him sitting in his jeep, about to turn on the ignition. "Dick!"

He stopped when he saw her, glancing over at her, taken aback by her sudden appearance. "Hi."

"Um…," She foundherself stalling. "So, how've things been?"

"Busy, really busy," He replied, matter-of-factly.

"So…any news on getting me out of here?" She asked, seemingly unable to just say that she had a letter for him.

He rubbed his temple as he looked at her. He looked utterly exhausted. "Honestly, Roseanna, I have no idea. I haven't spoken to the Colonel, if I'm honest."

"Oh," She looked down, feeling very much like she was in the way.

He instantly felt ashamed of how he'd spoken to her, her pretty features dropping in sadness. "I shouldn't imagine it will be too long, though?"

"No?" She asked, looking up.

He thought, trying to put it in a way that she'd understand. "We're just…clearing a path at the moment, recapturing the roads and towns. If we manage then I don't suppose it'll be long." He started up his jeep. "Good day, Roseanna."

"Dick, wait!" She said desperately, reaching up and putting a hand on his arm.

"What?" He asked, his brow furrowing in concern.

"I…," She stammered. "Just wanted to say thanks for everything. It was good to see you again, even if it _was_ just a fleeting visit."

He paused for a second, before offering her a small, polite nod, averting his eyes. Putting his hand on the steering wheel, he drove off. She watched him go, gripping onto his letter tightly in his pocket and feeling slightly ashamed of herself. She supposed that she just wasn't ready to lose any connection she had with him yet, even if it took the form of something as trivial as a letter.

…………………………………..

_**January 16**__**th**__**, 1945**_

Shivering, Roseanna sat down on the snow, her back against the opposite side of the wall from the hospital, in the hope that she could shut it as far out of sight as possible. Her fingers moving as nimbly as possible given the cold, she packed snow between her hands, forming it into a small, round ball. Gently, she placed it on top of the alarmingly large pile of snowballs that she'd already made. Why? Something to do, wasn't it? She was officially at the end of her tether and was unable to take it anymore in that forsaken hospital. Nearly a week of nothing to do, no one familiar to talk to. Not for want of trying, either. She'd attempted, half out of boredom and half out of helplessness against the painful moans of the patients, to propose to one of the doctors that she could help out, do some odd jobs and the like. He'd merely looked at her with disdain for a second before asking her to move out of the way. She knew the doctors didn't want her here and, honestly, she could understand why. There she was, an able body taking up a much-needed hospital bed. She couldn't help it, though. It wasn't her choice to be there.

"Now, damn it, I spoke to him last week about that," Colonel Sink's distinctive voice boomed out from behind her.

Her heart leapt, partly at it being the Colonel and partly merely because it was a familiar voice. She scrambled to her feet, instantly grabbing his attention given that she'd seemingly appeared from nowhere. He whispered a goodbye to the person he'd been talking to and made his way over to her, nodding politely at her. "Miss Caine. It's been a while. I trust you've been…," He looked down at her small mountain of snowball, squinting at her. "…keeping yourself busy?"

"Well, you know," She said, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "This and that."

"Well," He cleared his throat. "I have some news I think you might want to hear."

She put a hand up to him, looking at him imploringly. "Colonel, _please_ tell me what I hope you're going to tell me."

"You're outta here," He said, confirming what she'd been hoping for. "About time too, eh?"

Her face lit up and she clapped her hands together. "Oh my goodness. That is the best news ever! I could hug you, Colonel, honestly!"

He arched an eyebrow at her.

She looked down. "But I won't. That would be inappropriate."

"Yes. Yes it would," He said, smiling at her.

"When, Sir? When?" She asked, a little too excitedly.

"Tomorrow," He replied, smiling dryly at her. "I assume that suits you just fine?"

"More than fine,"

"That keen to leave us, I see," He remarked. "Well, the 506th are headed for Mourmelon tomorrow morning. We located a USO nearby in Reims so we've arranged for you to tie in together in Mourmelon and they'll make arrangements to get you home."

"Thank you so much, Colonel," She said, liking everything that she was hearing.

"Now, I would offer to let you ride along with me, but I think I'll turn you back over to Dick's capable hands for the duration of the journey," He continued.

"Sir?" She asked, paling.

"Easy's holed up in a convent in Rachamps for the night after quite a tough fight. I've arranged for a jeep to take you out there and spend the night, since you seem to like spending so much time with them," He said, looking at her pointedly. "Yes, I heard about New Year's Eve."

"Oh, I don't know about that," She shook her head firmly. "Maybe it's better I just stay here tonight, then in the morning I can…."

"No, it's easier if you're with them tonight so you can set off quickly in the morning," He insisted. "Besides, I'm sure they could use the company after a month of being attacked from all sides."

"I suppose…," She trailed.

"Go get your stuff together, Miss Caine,"

……………………….

_**3 hours later**_

Roseanna could hear the soft, choral music even before she'd entered the dilapidated convent. How comforting it was, the first time she'd heard proper music in a month, besides her own voice. The soft candlelight that she could see inside the building, she had to admit, was extremely warm and inviting. She walked inside, taking in the sight of the lines of young ladies, their voices melodically intertwining. Her eyes drifted over to the men of Easy, sprawled out over the various pews. She took in the sight of them, thoroughly taken aback. Was this bedraggled, exhausted group of young men the same Easy Company that she'd seen whooping loudly to her performance back in Mourmelon? They'd seemed more chipper even at Christmas and New Year than now. But then, she didn't know what they'd been through. So fatigued they seemed that no one noticed her coming in from the side of the hall. She lingered by the door, not really knowing what to do with herself. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Luz, crouched into the corner of a pew by himself save for one other man at the other end. Slowly, she walked over to him, standing in front of him. He seemed to be staring ahead, in a trance, completely unaware of her presence. She crouched down in front of him, so that they were face-to-face. She considered bringing up his inability to keep a secret in an attempt to lighten the mood but even the joker George Luz seemed to defeated at that moment to respond to that.

"Hi, George," She said, tapping his knee slightly.

He seemed to snap out of it, looking over at her, raising his eyes at the sight of her. "Jesus, I know I'm tired, but I hope I'm not seeing things."

His voice alerted some of the other soldiers to her presence, and together some chorused out their greetings.

She smiled. "No, no it's me. I'm getting out of here tomorrow with you fellas."

"Nicely timed then," He said, gently patting the empty space on the pew next to him. "Have a seat."

She sat down, stretching her legs out. "Tough day?"

"I've had better," He shrugged.

"I could tell,"

"Eh, it's not so bad, gettin' to sleep inside for the first time in what feels like years, a roaring fire, these lovely young ladies singing for us…shit, maybe I did die and go to heaven."

"Sorry," She patted his shoulder sympathetically. "You're still in Europe."

"Damn," He joked, yawning. "So…where you been hiding, huh? You don't phone, you don't write…."

"I've been in that damn hospital, George, going out of my mind," She shook her head, smiling at him. "What about you, huh? You couldn't fall and hurt yourself so that you could come and see me?"

"Sorry," He said, putting a hand to his chest and adding dryly. "How insensitive of me."

After sniggering a little, both fell silent, just enjoying the peaceful surrounding. Her eyes drifted across to the pew across from theirs, where Floyd, equally as empty-looking, sat rubbing his head. His eyes drifted over to meet hers. He offered her a small wave before looking away again, like it was all he could manage.

"God, you boys have been bruised and battered from end to end, huh?" She whispered, not really meaning anyone to hear.

"Huh?" George asked, looking over to see what she was looking at, nodding in agreement. He dug her in the ribs. "You should go talk to him."

"I will," She nodded in agreement, standing up. Before going, she tapped George on the shoulder, sensing his inner joker had been reawakened slightly. "And then I'll be talking to you about how you can't keep your damn mouth closed…you _know_ what I'm talking about."

"Eh….take your time over there," He said, smiling cheekily at her.

When Floyd saw her approaching, he painstakingly shuffled along the pew to make some room for her. As she sat down, the whole room went eerily quiet as the small choir began to shuffle off in different directions, with the Nun conducting announcing that they were going to take a quick break. She looked over at the soldier, who leaned his elbows on his thighs as he stared at a burning candle in front of him.

"Hi, Floyd," She said, tentatively. "How you doing, there?"

"Fine," He replied simply, nodding his head at her.

She knew he wasn't his usual self, thinking dryly to herself that she'd been there 40 seconds and he hadn't made anything resembling a flirty comment. His handsome features seemed clouded somehow, and it wasn't just the rogue facial hair he was sprouting. She tried to make conversation. "So where is everybody? Where's uh…where's Muck?"

He looked over at her, shaking his head, explaining to her all that she needed to know. _Wrong thing to say_, she scolded herself. "Oh."

She didn't know what to say to cheer him up, feeling completely unnerved by this Floyd sitting next to her. He stared down at the ground, his shoe making small, random circles on the wooden floor. She reached out, taking one of his hands and interlocking her fingers with his. He stopped his foot from moving, looking up at her, surprised by her action. She just smiled at him and stroked his fingers supportively with her own. They sat like that for a few seconds, until her train of thought was broken by the sound of someone coughing loudly nearby. She turned round to see it was Johnny Martin, who raised an apologetic hand for having disrupted her. It reminded her of something. With her free hand, she reached into her shoulder bag, fishing out a piece of paper. She thrust it in his direction. "Sergeant Martin. For your wife, like I promised."

"Much obliged," He smiled, taking it from her and tucking it safely into his chest pocket, offering her an appreciative nod.

"Hey Roseanna," Perconte called out from nearby, stretched out along the length of a connector between two pews. "Why don't you sing something for us since you're here?"

"Oh," She looked around, shaking her head. "I don't think so. You should all get some sleep."

"Well, sing us to sleep, then," He replied, pointing to his backside. "Least you can do for an injured man."

"O…okay then," She said, gently releasing her hand from Floyd's. She stood up, standing in front of them. "Any requests?"

"Just anything!" A voice came from the back.

She had a quick think to herself, one suddenly coming to mind. One of her favourites. She indicated to the large organ nearby. "Don't suppose anyone can play Al Bowlly on that thing?"

Nothing. "Oh well, I'll just do without then."

She began to sing:

_Goodnight Sweetheart, all my prayers are for you_

_Goodnight Sweetheart, I'll be watching o'er you_

_Tears and parting may make us forlorn_

_But with the dawn a new day is born_

_So I'll say goodnight Sweetheart, sleep will banish sorrow_

_Goodnight Sweetheart, when we meet tomorrow_

_Dreams enfold you, in them, dear, I'll hold you_

_Goodnight Sweetheart goodnight._

_Goodnight Sweetheart, all my prayers are for you_

_Goodnight Sweetheart, I'll be watching o'er you_

_Tears and parting may make us forlorn_

_But with the dawn a new day is born_

_So I'll say goodnight Sweetheart, sleep will banish sorrow_

_Goodnight Sweetheart, when we meet tomorrow_

_Dreams enfold you, in them, dear, I'll hold you_

_Goodnight Sweetheart goodnight._

There was no applause when she was finished, just a few appreciative smiles, or the nasal sounds of some peaceful sleepers. As she finished, she noticed out of the corner of her eye Dick leaning against the doorframe of the entrance, watching her sing. As she nervously looked at the floor, she noticed the young girls taking formation behind her again, back from their break. Quickly, she scooted out of the way, giving them the "stage" back. Dick walked behind the pews full of soldiers, towards an empty one further back and out of sight, flashing her a "follow me" look as he went. She walked over, her stomach doing the tango as she leaned against the tall side frame of the pew.

"Not going to sit?" He asked after what felt like an eternity.

She nervously sat down.

"That was beautiful," He commented, referring to the song.

"Thank you,"

"Finally getting out of here, then," He commented, shifting awkwardly in his seat.

"Looks that way," She nodded, looking away from him, trying to fight the feelings that she knew she very much still had for him. "What about you? What's next for Easy?"

He closed his eyes, exhaling loudly. "I don't want to think about that right now."

She opened her mouth in mock surprise. "Who are you and what have you done with Captain Winters?"

He offered her a half-smile, looking back over at the choir, who had launched into another harmony.

"I can't believe I'm finally leaving," she mused. "It feels like I've been here for years."

"At least you can get back to your old life," he said, looking back at her and raising his eyebrows for a moment, before adding. "You can forget all this as a past memory."

"I'm not sure that I really want to do that," she corrected him, playing with her pinkie finger. "I've learned a lot from this experience."

"Like what?" He asked, almost sniggering affectionately.

"I don't know," she laughed. "…like the importance of getting on the right damn vehicle."

"That's definitely an important one," he nodded, amused.

"And that neat whiskey is never a good idea," she added, testing the waters.

They locked eyes for a moment, before looking away, eyes in opposite directions. He stifled a yawn, covering his mouth. "Excuse me."

"I should let you get some sleep," She said, standing up to leave him in peace.

To her surprise, he put a hand out and gently grasped her arm, looking up at her gently. "No, you don't have to go. I'd like…I'd like it if you stayed."

"Oh," she said, her body warming slightly as she sat back down. They didn't say anything, just listened to the music, their arms touching and sending tingles up her spine. She knew it was no good for these feelings to be making an appearance again at a time like this, so close to both of their departures. Needing something to snap her back to reality, she reached into her bag and pulled out the much-desired letter of his she'd been harbouring. It was time.

Dick noticed her hands moving to the bag, watching with interest as she produced the letter. "What's that?"

"I have something of yours," she said quietly, thrusting it into his hands. "It got delivered to me by accident. I thought I should get it back to you."

He scanned it quickly, his eyes bulging for a quick second at the handwriting. "Thanks."

That look on his face made her heart sink. Looking away, she said quickly "Yes, well…I thought it might be important correspondence, from your mother perhaps…or your sister."

"I don't have a sister," he informed her, playing with the edges of the envelope.

"Oh," she said, her heart sinking further. "Mother?"

"Nope, not from her," he shook his head. "It's from a friend from back home."

"A _friend_?" She asked, pointedly, knowing with embarrassment that the look on her face must be so obvious.

He sensed this, his face softening as he looked into her eyes. "Just a friend."

"Like me?" She asked involuntarily, forcing him look away shyly. "Sorry."

"That's alright,"

She sighed, shaking her head and having to fight off a fit of laughter. What a situation she'd managed to get herself into. "I'm sorry, Dick. It's the performer in me. Won't let me give up."

"You know, I noticed that," He replied, smiling warmly at her. "I happen to like that about you."

She smiled, looking away again and folding her arms. "Despite everything, Dick, despite what a fool I made of myself…I'm really glad I met you."

"I'm glad I got to meet you too. There's nothing better for a fan of Roseanna Caine fan to meet Roseanna Caine," he smiled shyly, leaning a little closer to her. "And, for the record, you _didn't_ make a fool of yourself."

Appreciative as she was for his words, she wanted to change the subject ASAP. "So…since you like writing letters…do you think you'd consider writing to me?"

"Well, I don't know," He said, joking that he was deeply pondering the notion. "Are you sure you'll have time to write amongst all of your performances, interviews and showbiz parties?"

"Well," She said, mockingly putting a finger to her lips in realisation…when you put it like that."

"I knew it," he rolled his eyes, smiling.

"I'll find the time, Dick," She said, putting a hand on his arm.

"Then I think that would be alright with me," He nodded, fighting another yawn.

They fell silent. Roseanna didn't mind, simply enjoying the closeness of their bodies as they took in the music and candlelight. After a few minutes, she looked over, a little smile playing on her lips when she saw that he'd fallen asleep, his head leaning against the side of the pew. Watching him for just a moment, she took a piece of paper from her bag and fished around for a pen. She scribbled her address down on the piece of paper (adding _write to me_ at the bottom), tucking it up and placing it gently in his jacket pocket so as not to wake him.

"It's up to you now. If you write, you write," She whispered, collecting her things together, preparing to let him sleep in peace. She turned back to him, pausing for a moment before placing a kiss on his cheek. "Goodnight, Sweetheart."


	14. Chapter 14 Finding the Right Words

**Falling Star Chapter 14**

Helloooo! Apologies for the little cliffhanger at the end of the last chapter there. Rest assured I'm far from done with this story :p. Just to warn you, this is a bit of a long chapter. I just got carried away and couldn't stop writing. I think some of you might find this chapter a little boring because there's no direct Roseanna/Easy contact but I had to describe the mood of them being apart so please give it a try anyway. Let me know what you think! :D

……………………….

_**January 24**__**th**__**, 1945**_

Watching the United States of America whizz by below her from the small airplane window, Roseanna twiddled her thumbs nervously. As the plane made it descent into the McGuire Air Base in New Jersey, just a mere 90 minutes from New York City, where she called her home, she lightly fingered the pastel blue linen skirt suit that she was wearing. How different she looked now after raiding a USO costume trunk to when she'd been holed up in that hospital. After weeks of being grubby, dirty and dressed in army rags, finally she was washed, scrubbed and dressed more like a lady again. More like the old Roseanna Caine. Despite this, she certainly didn't _feel_ like the old Roseanna Caine. Changed, somehow, by her experience and the people she'd met. _The people_, she thought to herself. She began to grow irritated, thinking of the day after the night in the convent in Rachamps. En route to Mourmelon, Easy had been suddenly rerouted to a place called Hagenau, meaning there'd just been time to literally drop her off in Mourmelon before setting off again. She hadn't even gotten the chance to say a proper goodbye to any of them, nothing at all but a simple wave. She didn't like leaving things that way. She fidgeted in her chair, trying to shake off her mixed feelings of annoyance and nervousness, suddenly become aware that they'd landed back on American soil. Yet she was still in the plane.

"Apologies for the delays, Miss Caine," The pilot's voice boomed out from up front, as though reading her mind. "It seems quite a few news reporters and photographers have shown up today to see you arrive back home, so it's taking us a little longer to get safely stationed."

"Of course they've showed up," she muttered dryly to herself, staring out at the small crowd of people huddled by the airbase office, watching her plane.

After the plane came to a final stop and she was cleared for exit, she took her first step off of the aircraft, greeted instantly by a line of flashing camera bulbs and light applause. Why were they applauding her? She realised at that moment just how humbling her experience in the Ardennes had been as, for the first time in her life, she was standing in front of throng of people and cameras and felt shy. Putting a hand over her eyes to shield from the glare of the flashing lights, she spotted three familiar figures in front of her: her father; her stepmother and Lola. She took in the sight of them, remarking how dressed up her stepmother and Lola were for the occasion. Lola, in particular, she noticed wore her full winter furs and a felt, clip-on, fascinator. _What a marvellous photograph opportunity_, she couldn't help but suppose to herself. They began to close ranks on her, her stepmother being the first to make contact, grabbing her into a fierce (yet somehow ladylike) hug. _Ow_, Roseanna thought to herself, feeling the sting of her long, manicured nails digging into her back. Eventually, she was released, only to find herself standing face-to-face with Lola. The two girls merely stared at each other for what felt like an age but, in reality, was probably a few seconds, Roseanna's lips pursed in a tight line as were Lola's ruby red ones. Eventually, Lola let out a loud, fabricated cry of relief, before launching herself onto her stepsister, embracing her. Roseanna didn't hug her back, she couldn't. Lola, sensing this, brought her lips closer to her ear, hissing "Don't you dare make a scene. Hug me back!". Swallowing hard, Roseanna brought both of her hands up, laying them to rest on Lola's shoulders, from where she gently yet firmly pushed her stepsister away from her. Taking a step back, her eyes drifted over to her father, her resolve crumbling the moment she set eyes on him. Instantly, she felt like a little girl who wanted nothing more than to be hugged by her daddy.

"Daddy…," she whispered quietly, her voice cracking.

William Caine, still a handsome man for being in his early 50s, was known for his persona of being a cool, collected, charming man yet at that moment, when he saw his little girl in front of him, crying out for him, it tugged at him in a way nothing else could. He held out his arms to her, beckoning her forwards. "Come here, Angel."

She fell into his arms, burying her head in between his neck and shoulders, trying to blot out all of the commotion and breathing in that all-too-familiar musky scent that she loved. They stayed like that, with him gently rocking her back and forth in his arms.

After a while, her stepmother stepped closer to the pair, hissing. "Compose yourself! Have you seen how many people are here, how many cameras?!"

"Oh," her father said, kicked into touch once again by his wife. He gently released Roseanna from his arms, straightening his tie. "You're right, dear."

It wasn't long before the reporters descended on the family, notepads at the ready. Questions were instantly fired at her. Where did you go, Miss Caine? What did you see? What can you really tell us about the action out there? How is the morale of the troops out there? She gently shook her head, it all being a bit much for her. Still, she knew the score when it came to dealing with reporters. Putting a hand on her hip, she flashed a charming smile, holding up her other hand to silence all of the questions. "Gentlemen, gentlemen. I'm sure you all have a lot of questions, and those are questions that I'd be more than happy to answer. For the moment, however, I'm afraid I have to ask you to excuse me for a spell, as I've just returned from a very long flight and I would appreciate the opportunity to freshen up. If you will, I'd like to turn you over, for the moment, into the capable hands of my father, William Caine."

Putting a hand on her father's arm and giving him a reassuring smile, she turned on her heel and made for the main air base office nearby, doing her best to walk steadily and confidently when really she just wanted to run, to flee. As she neared the large glass doors a hand reached out from the shadows and held her arm. Annie, red hair in disarray, stepped out into the light. Roseanna gasped in surprise at first, then broke into a smile when she saw Annie, her best friend in the whole world and PA to the Caine Sisters, she couldn't stop herself from throwing her arms around her. The two embraced heartily for a second before quickly pulling away, noticing the nearby news reporters turning their attention towards them.

"Get me out of here," Roseanna hissed, laughing.

Annie grabbed her hand, yanking her towards the door. "Follow me."

Within seconds the pair were alone in an empty office. Roseanna shut the door behind her, pressing her whole body against the frame, just to make sure it was shut and half so that she could pant from that small burst of energy. "Thank God for that."

Annie immediately launched into her apologies, throwing her hands up against her chest. "Roseanna, I can't even begin to describe how sorry I am! You have to believe me!"

"I believe you," Roseanna said, walking over to her friend and taking her hands. "But I can't help but wonder why?"

"This is all my fault," Annie smacked her own head, as though to punish herself. "If I'd taken more care, paid more attention…"

"Annie, shut up," Roseanna sighed, unable to stop a smile at her friend who was prone to getting worked up about things. It was her job after all to make sure everything was perfect and usually when it wasn't she punished herself hard. "This was _not _your fault!"

"But I…,"

"_You_ did not tell me to get on the wrong truck purposely," She shook her head. "_That_ was Lola."

"Lola…," Annie breathed, trying to make sense of. "…what?"

"She told me to get on a truck, said it was the one for the USO to get on…turns out it was the one that made me end up in the Ardennes,"

Annie was quiet for a moment as it all sank in. She gasped. "I cannot _believe_ it! That…ooooh that girl has gone too far this time. First she does that and _then_ she lies to me about what happened and then…. Oh, when I get hold of her I'm going to…no, I can't even do anything or I'll lose my job. She's untouchable."

"Don't worry, Annie," Roseanna put an arm around the redhead. "Don't you worry about Lola, leave her to me.... Anyway, I don't want to talk about her right now, don't even want to think about her. Can we change the subject?"

"Of course," Annie said, mentally blocking out her seething rage enough to go into professional mode. She sat down at the desk in the office, reaching for some files in her handbag and motioning for Roseanna to sit down. "Sit, sit and I'll explain everything."

"Ok," She replied nervously, sitting down and wondering why she would have to explain.

"Okay Roseanna, let's see here. I don't want you to worry at all about word of what happened getting out to the public," Annie reassured her, fiddling through her files.

"I hadn't actually thought about that," She scratched her head.

"Well, you never had to. I took care of everything. I worked closely with the USO and the War Advertising Council. Together, we've managed to disguise this whole fiasco as a personal act of heroism…or _heroinisme_ I should say, if that's even a word.

"I don't think it is," She shook her head. "And…come again?"

"As though it was something that you wanted to do for yourself, like you wanted to go one step further to cheer up the troops, to experience war first hand. It was then that the War Advertising Council became involved, suggesting that we could use it as a means of selling war bonds, and it's proved quite successful. Have a look at this flier," Annie slid a pamphlet across the table her.

Her skin pricking, Roseanna took the flier and scanned it hastily. The heading "_Roseanna Caine is doing her bit…are you?"_ and below, she gasped, her heart lurching at the reminder of her time there, was the picture that had been taken of her on Christmas Day. She looked at all of the faces: Luz; Tab; Bill etc. Her heart began to beat as she looked at Dick standing to the edge of the photo. She pursed her lips together and closed her eyes for a moment, trying to process these…these lies.

"Are you alright?" Annie asked, concerned, looking at Roseanna's paling face. "Why the long face? You've actually become quite revered as something of a heroine in all of this.

"But these are lies, Annie," she shook her head firmly, setting the flier down. "I don't deserve this attention, praise for something I didn't do."

Annie frowned, unnerved by Roseanna's reaction. "I don't understand. You would have the public know the truth? No, you know that can't happen. It's show business, Roseanna, you know that."

"That doesn't make it right," She looked down, her lip trembling.

"Now, now, why the tears?" Annie said, feeling even more unnerved at the effect her spell abroad had had on her. Was this the same Roseanna? She walked round to the other side of the desk, putting an arm round her. "Don't think of it like that. Think of it this way, it's good for American morale. That's important, isn't it? Isn't that why you joined the USO in the first place, ended your sabbatical early?"

"I suppose," Roseanna shrugged.

"It's all for the greater good," Annie crouched down, taking a handkerchief from her pocket and dabbing the tears away from her best friend's eyes. "Okay?"

"Okay?" Roseanna said quietly, looking away.

"Can I get a smile?"

Roseanna plastered a large, fake smile.

"Roseanna Caine! I meant a genuine smile! Don't you _dare_ use your "public face" on me," Annie laughed, playfully hitting her shoulder.

Roseanna couldn't help but laugh.

"Now," Annie said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind one of Roseanna's ears before checking her make-up was perfect. "I want to hear all about what happened to you over there…"

"Do you have 3 hours to spare?" Roseanna asked, dryly.

"No…," Annie shook her head, a smile playing about her lips. "So unfortunately that will have to wait. For now though, I'm afraid you still have to consult your public…and by that I mean those damn reporters. Ready?"

"Ready," she nodded, clearing her throat, smiling and making for the door.

"It's like you never left," Annie smiled, happy to see a glimmer of the old Roseanna Caine returning.

………………………

_**January 25**__**th**__**, 1945- Caine Family Mansion, New York**_

"Oh my…God," Roseanna said, walking through the double doors to her bedroom and looking at her large, King size bed for the first time in months. Taking a running jump, she crash landed on it, bouncing slightly on the springy duvet and burying her head into the soft, feather-filled pillow. "How I've missed you."

"Don't worry about the bags, Roseanna, I've got them," Annie said dryly, lugging her large suitcase into the room. "I thought you said lost all of your luggage over there."

"Sorry, just some stuff the USO gave me back in Mourmelon" She peeked out from behind the pillow, grinning meekly. "Excitement got the better of me there."

"I noticed when you started taking those stairs two at a time. I thought you stopped doing that when you were eight," Annie sighed, giving up trying to lug the case any further and flopping down next to her on the bed. "So…what was it like?"

Roseanna thought for a minute, finding it hard to choose one single word to sum everything up. "Honestly…I can't even begin to describe it."

"I can't get my mind past it," Annie confided, whistling impressively. "I mean you've been right there, right in the thick of the action. I can't even begin to imagine what that must have been like."

"Honestly Annie, it was the worst experience of my life. Don't tell my father but…I nearly died."

"You nearly died?!" She exclaimed, reaching out and instinctively grabbing her hand. "No! How?"

"Bombs," She explained, casting a wide-eyed glance to her friend. "I would've died too if it hadn't been for…so yes, the worst experience of my life."

"I can understand that," Annie put a hand over her mouth. She felt oddly proud of her friend, though. "I always knew you were made of strong stuff, though."

"Yet, also…," Roseanna mused, looking off into the distance. "The best experience of my life, somehow."

Annie sat up, smiling knowingly at her friend. "And what's that supposed to mean."

"Just…" She shifted uncomfortably. "You know…"

"Mmmm hmmm," Annie smiled, reaching for her bag and pulling out the same flier she'd showed Roseanna at the airbase. She held it up in front of her face. "And I wonder which of these fine-looking soldiers is responsible for that."

"Come again," She asked, trying to appear nonchalant.

"Don't even try and lie to me, Roseanna," Annie laughed gleefully. "I saw the look on your face when I showed you this picture. The same look as when you were just besotted with Lewis Middleton in the sixth grade."

Roseanna rolled her eyes, there was no secret she could keep from Annie. No secret, whatsoever. "I think you missed your calling. You should've gone into espionage."

Annie ignored this quip, pointing at the face of Captain Winters. "It's this one, isn't it?"

"How could you possibly know that?" She looked at her exasperatedly.

"It's my job to know everything," Annie winked at her. "Besides, you spent at least half of the journey home looking at this flier, and for a good portion of that you were stroking your finger over the face of this man. Didn't you notice?"

"Evidently not," Roseanna replied, blushing a little.

"Not that I blame you, he's a very good-looking man," Annie studied the photo. "Who is he?"

"Captain Winters," She explained softly, climbing off of the bed and placing the picture of her and her mother that she'd battled to rescue on Christmas day in Bastogne back into the frame she'd taken it from. "Dick Winters."

Silence spread over them.

"And….," Annie moved her hand in a circular motion, indicating for more. "I assume the story doesn't end with his name?"

"What can I say," She shrugged, coming over slightly embarrassed as she sat back down on the bed. "He was the only one who really, truly looked out for me or took an interest in me when I first got to the forest. We spent time together, spoke a lot. He was the most self-assured, confident, steadfast and caring man I've ever met."

"And you fell head over heels?"

"Head right over heels," Roseanna laughed.

"Aaaaaand?"

"Aaaaand we kissed, but that's honestly as far as it goes," She admitted truthfully.

"That's it?" Annie wrinkled her nose.

"He turned me down,"

"He did…didn't he know who your father is?" Annie asked in amazement.

Roseanna laughed at that being reason enough for a man to want to kiss her. "Yes he knew, and he was a fan of _my_ music too…yet, still…he said no."

"But he kissed you. I don't understand…," Annie said, confused.

"He said he couldn't get involved romantically given the situation over there," she shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, well. There was something there though, I have this nagging feeling."

Annie rolled her eyes, tossing a stuffed teddy at her. "Trust you."

"Trust me?"

"Yes, trust you to fall for someone that it's near impossible to be with," Annie shook her head. "You're so fickle. At least one thing you can say about Lola is that she's not so picky with her sweethearts, so long as they have a fat wallet."

"The heart wants what it wants! I didn't have a choice in the matter,"

"So is this it? All communication ended? Will I be dealing with a lovesick Roseanna Caine from now on?" Annie asked, biting her lip.

"He has my address," Roseanna said, stretching. "It's out of my hands now."

………………………..

_**That Night**_

That night, Roseanna lay spread out on the chaise longue in one of the sitting rooms, snug in her bathrobe in front of a roaring fire in the hearth. She sipped slowly from a cup of cocoa. Her father sat on a plush sofa opposite, sipping a cup of cocoa of his own. This is the way Roseanna like it, just the two of them, wearing their casual clothes, talking freely about everything and anything. It was when they could just be William and Roseanna, not part of this brand "The Caine Family" that everyone seemed to be so interested in. For William, it was a chance for him to talk to his daughter about what had happened to her over there in Belgium, to find out about her absence that had kept him awake at night, worrying.

"It was…surreal," She said honestly, taking a sip of her cocoa. "I've been racking my brains for a word to describe it and that's the only one that even comes close."

"So they kept you out of the immediate action?" He asked anxiously.

"Yes," She nodded. "I was kept at a medical hospital, a good distance from where the actual combat was taking place."

"Well that's a weight off of my mind, Sweetheart. It really is," He said, putting a hand over his chest. "The things I was imaging in my head I can't even being to describe to you."

"They were very careful with me," she smiled.

"So how did you fill your time over there?"

"I spent a lot of my time doing nothing, just trying not to get in anyone's way, but that's really hard. I can't describe it but when you're in that situation, you feel irked with yourself for sitting idly by when everyone around you is running around, helping out. It makes you want to do something, _anything_," She said, shaking her head at the memory.

"So did you?" He asked. "Help, I mean."

"I tried," She nodded, smiling bashfully. "I helped out a little in the local hospitals, read to the men in the aid station, even sorted out mail. Little things."

"Well, well, well," He regarded his daughter in a new light. "That makes me feel proud of you sweetheart."

They looked at each other, taking in the each other's face in the dull light glowing from the hearth. He furrowed his brow as he looked at her, there was something different about her.

She noticed the concern etched on his face. "What, daddy?"

"You just look…a little different," He said, it bothering him slightly. "I can't put my finger on him."

"I think I am a little different," She admitted, gripping her mug tightly. "I think it's hard to go somewhere like that and come back the same. I take my hat of to those men daddy, I really do. The things they must go through everyday…."

"You met a lot of the soldiers?" He asked, that new thought entering his head.

"Quite a few, yes," She said, looking into the hearth as Dick's face appeared in her mind. "All great men. Quite different from the ones we meet in the social circles that we run in here."

"What do you mean?"

"They were more genuine, I suppose," she said, shrugging. "Genuine and collected, even in the face of the danger they were facing, despite being cold, hungry and dirty all of the time."

"The great unwashed, huh?" Lola's voice interrupted from behind, the sound of her footsteps padding on the marble growing louder as she entered further into the room.

"Hi Lola Bear," William said, smiling at her, holding out an arm, motioning for her to sit with him on the sofa. "Come sit."

Roseanna winced at that nickname, staring into the bottom of her empty cup.

"Thanks, Daddy," Lola said, sitting down next to him on the two-seater and looking smugly over at Roseanna. "Did I miss anything interesting?"

"Rosie was just telling us all about Belgium," William said animatedly.

"Oh, fabulous," Lola clapped her hands together and smiled in a superb display of fakery. "I'm all ears."

"Actually, " Roseanna said, standing up, her eyes boring into Lola's. "I'm a little tired, as I'm sure you can understand. Dad can inform you everything, such as that I nearly died over there. Goodnight."

That simple statement was enough to make Lola the first one to break eye contact, shifting uncomfortably in her chair.

"You nearly…_what_?" William stuttered, wide-eyed as he watched his daughter leave the room. He turned to Lola. "Did I hear that right?"

………………………..

_**February 2**__**nd**__**, 1945- Hagenau, France**_

Dick stood on the embankment, looking out over onto the other side of the river. _It's us and them_, he thought to himself, looking out eagerly for any action on the opposite side. He shivered, pulling his scarf a little tighter around his throat, ever-thankful that even though it was as cold as Bastogne, at least there were buildings to take refuge in. He put a hand to his face, the stubble seeming to prick his hands extra hard with the cold. He made a mental note to shave.

"Captain Winters, Sir," A voice interrupted from behind him, an orderly with his hand in high salute.

"At ease," Dick dismissed him.

"For you, Sir," The orderly handed him a sheet of paper, before quickly making his exit.

Dick scanned the paper, from Colonel Sink. Sighing, he closed his eyes, his mind beginning to race as he folded it in half.

"Not good news, I take it," Lew said dryly, appearing behind him. "Sink?"

"He wants us to cross the river," Dick replied, never taking his eyes off of the other side.

"Yeah?" Lew asked, inwardly shaking his head. He said the only thing that came to his head. "I bet that water's cold."

Dick didn't reply.

"I should be able to get you some boats," Lew continued, following Dick's gaze across the river.

Dick momentarily broke his line of sight, looking instead up at the sky. He sighed. "Had to be a full moon. So much for the cover of darkness. It's gonna leave the patrol exposed."

Lew stared across the river, his expression blank. He'd been thinking exactly the same thing. He cleared his throat. "Okay, let's talk numbers."

Dick rubbed the stubble on his chin once again, deep in thought. "12 men?"

"I'd go with 15," Lew interjected. "Might need extra on covering fire. 15 men…I think 4 boats should be enough."

"4 sounds like plenty," Dick nodded.

Lew made a mental note of the numbers, but decided to make a physical note of them as well, since he was so tired from the journey. He didn't want to risk forgetting, this patrol was too dangerous to get the numbers wrong. He fished out a scrap of paper from his pocket. Feeling his other pockets, he frowned. No pen. "Got a pen?"

"Somewhere," Dick said, his hand instinctively reaching into his front pocket where he was sure he had one. As his hands clasped round the metal of the pen, his fingers brushed something else. Paper. He frowned, he was usually a very meticulous person, even when it came to the contents of his pockets. Handing the pen to Nix, he fished out the bit of paper. Curious, he unfolded it. He took in the address, raising his eyes as he saw the note at the bottom: _Write to me. Roseanna._ He quickly placed the paper back in his pocket, glad he wasn't directly facing Nix so it wasn't obvious that his cheeks had reddened ever so slightly. Roseanna, her face flashed into his mind. A little smile played about his lips as he thought of her. So apparently she hadn't forgotten to give him her address, like he'd thought was the case.

……………………………………….

_**February 2**__**nd**__**, 1945- Caine Family Mansion, New York**_

Roseanna applied a layer of red lipstick over her lips, blotting them on a piece of paper. She stood back, looking at herself in the full-length mirror. She tugged at the fabric of the floor-length black, silk dress she'd chosen for the evening. It felt almost strangely be wearing fancy dresses again after a month in army garb, she couldn't get comfortable without the support of trousers.

"Very pretty," Annie said from behind, coming into the room. "But don't fidget with your dress, people might think you came back with body lice or something."

"Who says I didn't," She joked, wiggling her fingers menacingly at her best friend.

Annie shuddered. "Don't even joke about that. How do I look?"

Roseanna took in Annie's green, full-length gown, gathered in at the waist. She looked lovely. "Very pretty."

"Why thank you," Annie tipped an imaginary hat at her.

Roseanna sighed, slumping back down onto the stool at her vanity desk. "Do we have to have this party tonight. I'm rather lacking the desire for it."

"It's your Welcome Home party," Annie pointed out, shaking her head disapprovingly at her attitude. "You've been putting it off and putting it off, but you knew your stepmother would only let you put it off for so long. At least try and crack a smile. And remember…."

"I was there by choice," She rolled her eyes, a flash of guilt shuddering through her. "I know, I know."

"Very good," Annie said, stepping back and nearly tripping over the suitcase that Roseanna had still not unpacked since her arrival home. It lay on the ground, opened up with the contents exposed, yet nothing had been sorted away into wardrobes or drawers. "Still haven't unpacked that stuff. Or were you waiting for me to do it, perchance?"

"I'm offended at that, Annie," Roseanna said, holding a hand to her mouth in mock offence. She was only joking to shield the truth, that she hadn't been able to bring herself to pack it away. Wasn't ready to hide the memories in wardrobes nor storage boxes. "I'll get to it, I'll get to it."

"Mmmm hmmm," Annie rolled her eyes, touching up her lipstick, adding dryly. "I believe you."

"Anything in the post for me today?" Roseanna said, hopefully.

"Nothing, Sorry," Annie shook her head, giving her a sympathetic shrug. "Don't worry just yet, it takes mail a while to get here."

"I know," She smiled, turning her attention back to the mirror, trying to think positively. "I hate waiting though."

"Believe me Roseanna, if there's anything I know, it's that," Annie joked. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll hear from your sweetheart in due course."

"What Sweetheart?" Lola asked, her scarlet dress nearly as bright as her ruby red lips, breezing into the room without so much as a knock on the door.

"Please, come in," Roseanna said sarcastically. "And mind your own business."

"Now, now, Roseanna, play nice," Lola said, putting a hand on her hip.

"Can we help you, Lola?" Annie said calmly, trying to keep the peace between the two.

"Just came to see what you were both wearing," Lola said, eyeing Roseanna's dress and staring at her challengingly. "Just wanted to double check you weren't wearing something similar. You know what happened last time you did that…"

"Lola!" Annie couldn't stop herself from crying out.

"Ignore her, Annie," Roseanna rolled her eyes. "I do."

"Just as well," Lola spat back at her, anger beginning to seeth within her as it always did when she was with Roseanna. Her eyes drifted down to the opened suitcase on the floor, and to a heavy, tweed-looking bit of cloth sitting at the top. She bent down, frowning, pulling it up to reveal it as a long coat. "What the hell is this?"

Roseanna whipped her head round, feeling her anger boiling over as she saw Lola holding the winter army coat that Dick had given her on her first night in Bastogne. She couldn't control herself, marching it over and yanking it out of her hands. "_Don't_ touch that!"

Her tone was so sharp that even the glacial Lola was slightly taken aback. "What rattled your cage?"

Roseanna sighed. "Just get out, Lola."

Lola turned on her heel, looking at her pointedly. "Well, just make sure you don't make a scene tonight in front of everyone, not that you'd dare embarrass daddy like that. We wouldn't want you making up any little stories about how you came to be there."

"Making up little stories?" Roseanna echoed, incredulously. "You mean like how you sent me onto the wrong damn truck on purpose?"

Lola sniggered, leaning very closely into Roseanna's ear, her voice no higher than a whisper, yet menacing all the same. "Prove it."

Shooting a last triumphant glance at her stepsister, Lola breezed out of the room as freely as she'd breezed in.

………………………….

_**2 hours later**_

Roseanna stood hidden behind the marble archway just off of the intricate mosaic that made up the dance floor of the ballroom in her family home. Yes, a ballroom. Watching the guests, who collectively numbered at least 150, milling around, laughing, dancing and chatting, she felt stifled. This was the life she knew, the life she'd known all her life. She'd always loved it too, putting on a beautiful dress and being spun around the dance floor by potential suitors. At that point, however, it irked her. Really irritated her. She'd forcibly danced with at least three young up-and-coming actors or singers, yet she felt nothing. At least there she could catch her breath for a second under the archway. Or could she?

"Roseanna," Her stepmother appeared as if from nowhere, an irritated look on her face. She clasped her bony hand around Roseanna's arm. "Where have you been, I've been looking everywhere for you. Now this won't do, do you hear me? We've thrown this wonderful party for you and you're hiding out of sight when so many people want to speak with you. Now, come with me. I want you to meet the son of Reginald Mayweather. He's become very successful, and is joining his father on a USO tour in the spring. Now, come on!"

_Ow_, she thought to herself as her stepmother near-yanked her several feet away to the tall, gawky boy who was loitering around the champagne pyramid. The stepmother instantly went into her charming mode. "Michael, there you are. Can I finally introduce to you my lovely daughter, Roseanna Caine."

"Stepdaughter," Roseanna muttered under her breath, but forced a smile on her face as she accepted the hand that the young man held out for her. "So nice to meet you."

"This is Michael Mayweather, Reginald's son," Her stepmother oozed. "Roseanna was so eager to meet you Michael. She remembered of course what good friends your father is with her own father."

"They used to sing together at one point, I believe," Michael said, finally finding his voice. "And the pleasure is all mine, Miss Caine."

"Well, I'll leave you two to talk," Her stepmother said, patting both on the back, flashing Roseanna a warning look before ambling off into the crowd.

"So," Michael said, suddenly appearing nervous. "I hear you've just come back from quite the adventure."

"I suppose you could say that," Roseanna said, reaching absent-mindedly for a glass of champagne and taking a sip.

"I thought it was most courageous of you," He complimented her.

"Thank you," She said, giving him a half-smile. "Been out there yourself, have you? I heard you're a singer."

"Indeed," He smiled proudly, then frowned. "No, I haven't been out there. I'm joining the USO with my father but we've decided to wait until the situation over there becomes slightly…less dangerous shall we say."

Roseanna began to feel aggravated. "Don't you think the morale of the soldiers needs to be boosted the most _now_ as opposed to when the war is over as I'm sure then they'll be fairly elated all by themselves."

"Oh," Michael looked down, taken aback. "Well, I'm afraid I wouldn't know."

"That's right," Roseanna said, unable to stop herself from looking disapprovingly at him. "Didn't feel like signing up, then?"

"Oh, no," Michael raised his eyes, horrified. He leaned in closer, speaking to her like she'd know what he was talking about. "My father used his…connections…to get me past the conscription."

Roseanna did know what he was talking about, knew many other well-off people who'd used the same connections to get themselves out of military obligation. Before it had never really phased her in any way, yet now, knowing all of the men who were fighting over there, who hadn't chosen that life for themselves…she could be sick at the thought of this able-bodied man standing in her father's mansion in New York just because his own father's money had talked. She arched her eyebrows at him, starting to feel like she couldn't breath. The large hall seemed suddenly very enclosed and stuffy. She had to get out. "Excuse me, Michael."

She bumbled her way through the crowd, discreetly slipping through the large french glass doors and into the large back yard. She didn't even care that it was snowing. If anything it comforted her more as she sat down on a nearby marble bench. She closed her eyes, enjoying the cooling effect of the cold winter wind. She sighed as her mind began to spin. How could it be that a month in Belgium could leave her so disillusioned about her old life?

………………………………………

_**February 3**__**rd**__**, 1945- Hagenau, France**_

Dick sat at the desk in the room he'd claimed for his own for the duration of their stay in Hagenau, twiddling his pen between his fingers as he looked at the blank piece of paper in front of him. He'd figured that it would be the perfect time to try and write to her, given the slight exhilaration he'd just experienced at defying Colonel Sink's orders, telling the small group of soldiers _not_ to go on the second patrol as originally ordered. Yet, when he'd sat down to start actually writing, he couldn't think of the words. He couldn't find the right way to express himself. _Dearest Roseanna_, he scribbled then screwed up the piece of paper and adding it to the pile of crumpled paper that was already collecting at the corner of the desk. _Dearest_ was too strong.

He looked up, suddenly alerted by the sound of army boots pounded on the wooden flooring.

"Dick, you in here?" Lew's voice came from the other side.

Dick cleared his throat. "Yeah."

Nix shuffled into the room, looking pleased with himself.

"Finish the report?" Dick asked matter-of-factly, referring to the bogus report Lew was supposed to be writing about the second patrol.

"Course I did," Nix sat down. "Good work if I do say so myself. Think I missed my true calling as a writer."

Dick didn't reply, just raised his eyes in amusement as he looked back down at the blank paper.

"What're you doing there?" Nix asked curiously, peeking over to the desk.

"Just some correspondence," Dick replied nonchalantly. "While I have the time."

"And just who are we writing to," Nix asked, reaching for one of the screwed up balls.

"No, don't touch those…," Dick protested, but it was too late as Nix held the paper firmly in his hands, unfolding it. "Roseanna, huh? _Dearest_ Roseanna."

"She asked me to write to her," Dick began. "I just…."

"Don't have to explain yourself to me, pal," Nix said, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "I'll leave you to it."

"Good of you, Lew," Dick rolled his eyes sarcastically as Nix left.

"Oh, and Dick?" Nix reappeared, sticking his head round the door. "Tell her you're a Major now. That kind of thing should impress the ladies."

…………………………..


	15. Chapter 15 Letters and Iowa

**Falling Star Chapter 15**

…………………

_**February 14**__**th**__**, 1945- Caine Family Mansion**_

The Caines sat round their large, oak dining table eating a choice selection of roast beef that had been served to them by the last remaining maidservant in their household since the draft had forced the butlers into the army. Her stepmother and father took the prime positions at either end of the table whilst Lola and Roseanna sat on either side of the middle, staring each other out. Roseanna set down her knife and fork, her appetite not what it used to be and took a sip from her glass of water.

"Wine, Roseanna?" Her father asked, noticing this and holding up a bottle of crisp, dry white wine from a vineyard he'd invested in in California.

She shook her head, setting her glass back down on the table, folding her hands over her lap and waiting for everyone else to finish.

"So, Rosie, did we tell you about our plans for a new USO tour?" Her father asked, looking at her animatedly.

She shook her head. "We?"

"Yes," He motioned to Lola. "Whilst you were away we started talking about doing a tour, the three of us altogether. How would you feel about that, eh? Singing onstage with your sister _and_ your old dad. Sounds pretty special, doesn't it Lola?"

Lola threw Roseanna a quick spiteful, sneer before smiling excitedly at William Caine. "Absolutely! I mean, Rosie and I had so much fun on our last one together. It would be even better if you were there, dad."

"Wouldn't it?" He nodded happily, looking expectantly at Roseanna. "The word in the press is that this war is already beginning to look like it's drawing to a close. If that happens, there's going to be plenty of triumphant but bored soldiers with nothing to do out there across Europe. What do you say, Roseanna? All this time with you away from the family has made me realise that I want us to spend more time together."

"I…," She looked down, playing with her pinkie finger awkwardly. "I don't think so."

"Come again?" Her stepmother stared at her blankly from the top end of the table.

"I don't want to," Roseanna repeated firmly, speaking a little louder as she looked at her stepmother. "On the contrary, I think I need to get away from here for a little while."

"You need to get away from here after being away from here for months?" Her stepmother echoed, looking at her as though she were an idiot.

"Well," She rolled her eyes. "It _does_ sound silly when you say it like _that_, obviously, but honestly that's what I need. I need a break from all of this for a while."

"All of what, Pumpkin?" William looked at her with concern etched all over his face.

"All of this…show business," She admitted, avoiding his eye contact. She didn't want him to feel guilty, as his involvement in the business was the reason that she, too, was.

"Well, I think that's _very_ selfish of you, Roseanna, I really do," Lola piped up, slamming her cutlery down on the table.

Her stepmother stifled a laugh, covering her mouth elegantly. "Don't be ridiculous, Roseanna, dear. This is what we _do_. We're the Caine Family, after all. That includes all of us. Besides, wherever would you go?"

"Iowa," She challenged, not backing down from her stepmother's dagger-esque stare.

"Iowa," Her stepmother repeated slowly, then sighing deeply. "Oh, to that grandmother of yours?"

"**Eleanor**," William said warningly, to everyone's surprise. He never challenged his wife, yet this one time he was pushed too far, seeing an empty look in his daughter's eyes. He leaned over, putting his hand comfortingly over hers, saying calmly. "I'll make the arrangements."

She smiled reassuringly at him, placing her other hand on the top of his. "Don't worry, Daddy. I already did."

…………………………………

_**February 15**__**th**__**, 1945- Caine Family Mansion**_

Annie looked through Roseanna's large wardrobe, pulling the rows of silk dresses aside and reaching instead for the thick, woollen sweaters buried in the back. Those would come far more in handy where her best friend was going. She turned round, passing them to Roseanna, who was on her knees on the floor, packing clothes into her suitcase. "Here, you'd better take these."

Roseanna took them, looking through the pile. Wrinkling her nose, she pulled out a white one with cringeworthy reindeer sewn on the front. She held it up for a second to show it to Annie, before throwing it over onto the bed. "I think I'll leave this one…for obvious reasons."

"Good idea," Annie laughed, helping pack the sweaters into the suitcase, frowning at the amount of clothes already in there. "Roseanna…how long exactly _are_ you planning on staying away for?"

"Until I'm ready to come back to all this," She admitted.

"Well, try and make that happen fast, "Annie smiled, only half-joking, whispering. "Don't leave me alone with that bitch for too long."

"I'll try," Roseanna promised, smiling. "But you know that if you ever need a break from Lola, you'll always be welcome in Iowa. Grammy would love to see you."

"Duly noted," Annie said, counting three different winter coats in the suitcase, including that battered old army coat that Roseanna seemed to love so much. "I'll miss you…again."

"I'll miss you too," She said, stopping for a moment to smile over, a thought suddenly coming to mind. "Oh and if any mail happens to be sent here for me with a military stamp…."

"…I'll forward them to you," Annie smiled knowingly, reaching into her cardigan pocket, assuming now would be the best time to show her something. She produced a letter. "Do you mean like this one that came this morning by any chance?"

Roseanna held her breath, her eyes lighting up as she grabbed the letter, noting the return address being from Dick. She stood up, half-jumping. "Oh my goodness! He wrote, he _actually_ wrote!"

"It would appear so," Annie winked at her, standing up as well. "Well go on then, don't just stand there jumping around like an idiot. Open the darn thing!"

Roseanna began to rip over the envelope…but stopped, frowning.

Annie laughed, amused. "What? Have you forgotten how to open one of those?"

"I don't want to open it just yet," She said, clutching it to her chest. "I waited so long for him to write…I want to enjoy the fact that he did for a bit longer. I think I'll open it on the train tomorrow."

Annie frowned, sighing. "Spoil my fun."

"Sorry," Roseanna apologised, looking over the letter excitedly once more before putting it carefully into her handbag.

"You'd better make sure you tell him about your change of address," Annie noted, folding up some scarves for Roseanna to use in combat against the harsh Iowa winter. "And make sure you keep me updated on every little detail!"

………………………………

_**February 16**__**th**__**, 1945- Train en route to Sioux City, Iowa**_

Roseanna sat alone in her own private compartment (paid for by her father on his command to ensure her the most comfortable journey) of the train en route for Sioux City, Iowa, where her grandparents would be meeting to take her to their rural farm house, just a few miles from Danbury, a city (if you could call it that) with a population of around 300. She nestled into her chair, watching the wintery, snowy fields zip by through the partially-steamed up window. She looked at her handbag, sitting on the empty seat opposite her. She knew enough time had gone by, and that her curiosity wouldn't wait much longer. She pulled out Dick's letter, gently opening the envelope and pulling out the neatly doubled-over letter:

_Dear Roseanna,_

_Apologies for having taken so long to write to you. It took me a while to happen across your address. I have to admit that I briefly believed that you'd simply forgotten to leave me your address. I hope that you made it hope safe, sound and in good health and that you're back in the loving arms of everyone that you hold dear. It's strange to suddenly find ourselves here without you. Even though you were never actually amongst us for that long, we always knew that you were nearby. Still, I think your presence had nothing but a positive influence on the men. Speaking of the men, everyone here is as well as can be in Hagenau. Everyone is at least happy to be able to sleep indoors at night, a rare treat after the last month. You might be interested to know that Frank Perconte has recovered well and made it back amongst the men. I asked Lew if he had any words that he wanted me to pass along to you. He asked me to send you his regards, and also instructed me to tell you the news that I've been promoted to Major, because he knew otherwise I wouldn't. Stay safe and please rethink any forays back to Europe for the time being, unless they are headed anywhere near us._

_Dick._

……………………..

It was only 3p.m. yet it was already starting to get dark as Roseanna dismounted the train in Sioux City, Iowa. She shivered, pulling her coat (not that one!) tighter around her shoulders as snowflakes fell around her. _Not unfamiliar_, she thought to herself, amused. She spotted her grandparents in the distance, smiling to herself that they hadn't changed at all in the few months that she hadn't seen them. Her grandmother, a fuller-figured woman, held her hair tied back in a loose chignon, matched by naturally rosy cheeks and a plaid dress, covered up in a thick coat. Her grandfather, quite tall in stature and thin in width, wore his usual wire spectacles which gave him a wise air. Both looked remarkably young for grandparents in their mid-sixties (they'd had her mother when they were around 17). They rushed over to her, enveloping her in a three-way hug. She breathed in the comforting smell of her grandmother's perfume, that she'd only been able to smell faintly on her letters before. Grammy frowned as she looked at the small scar on Roseanna's forehead, the one she'd received in Bastogne. "You have a scar, my darling."

"It's nothing, Grammy," Roseanna said, giving her a reassuring smile before hugging her again. "It's so good to see you both!"

"You too, Sweetheart," Her grandfather said, patting her on the back and beginning to lead her out of the station. "Come one, we've parked this way."

On the three hour drive back to their farmhouse in rural Danbury, Roseanna fell asleep almost instantly, nestled in her jacket. When she woke up two hours later, she didn't let on that she'd awoken, just nestled further into her jacket so that she could watch the snow-covered fields that were so familiar to her whip by. God, she'd missed this place.

Finally they pulled up at the two-storey wooden farmhouse. The house that her mother had grown up in.

"Home Sweet Home, darling," Her grandmother said, ushering her inside.

As soon as she walked inside, she was immediately barraged by the dogs: Lass the Border Collie and Jock the West Highland Terrier. She bent down to pat both of them, cooing over them. She took in the familiar smell of the cosy house, a mix of the fire burning in the hearth, her grandmother's perfume and freshly baked bread coming from the kitchen. She stood up from patting the dogs, noticing it was unusually quiet inside.

"Where are Roger and Marvin?" She asked, referring to the two farm hands who lived on the farm for three quarters of the year but went elsewhere during the winter months when operations usually shut down due to the snow. "Not back yet?"

"Next month," Gramps explained, setting Roseanna's suitcase down.

"Go on upstairs and unpack, Sweetheart, and I'll get dinner started," Grammy said, pointing to the stairs. "You know where your room is."

Roseanna refused her grandfather's offer of carrying her suitcase, opting instead to lug it herself as he'd already carried it so far for her. She opened the ornate handle, stepping inside to her mother's old room. It was exactly the way it had always been, ever since her mother had slept in it. The same light pink wallpaper, medium oak floor panelling, the fireplace in the corner, even the same bed linen (washed of course). It was the one place in the world that she could still come and feel close to her mother, and she liked it. Setting the suitcase down, she lay down on the single bed, closing her eyes and sighing contentedly.

……………………………..

_**Two hours later**_

After a hearty, countryside meal, Roseanna and her grandparents sat around the roaring fire, nursing cups of cocoa. Roseanna nestled into the single armchair in her slippers, with Jock sleep on her lap and Lass sleeping on top of her feet, keeping them warm. She patted her stomach. "Grammy that was the best food I've had since I got back."

"Your grandma pulled out all the stops," Her grandfather smiled, patting his wife's hand. "She wanted to give you a proper feed after you've been eating goodness knows what rations out there in Belgium."

"You wouldn't believe a person could survive on refried beans, would you?" She laughed.

"Refried beans?" Her grandma repeated, horrified. "That's it? I'll pretend that I didn't hear that."

She laughed, staring over into the hearth for a minute, looking at the burning logs. When she looked back over at her grandparents, she saw them looking over at her with expectant grins on their faces. She was a bit taken aback but smiled, amused. "What? You can't have any more questions about Europe, surely? Dinner was more like an interrogation session."

"Just one more," Her grandmother said, shaking her head at her granddaughter, amused. "…tell me you'll wont be going abroad again anytime soon? I'm not sure that my poor nerves could take it."

"I promise, Grammy," She smiled, stifling a yawn. "I'll stay put for a while, I promise."

"Thank you. I can rest easy now," Grammy said, relieved. She pointed over to the stairs. "Now, off to bed with you. You've been yawning all night."

"Ok Grammy," She stood up, kissing both of them goodnight before making her away up the stairs, tossing jokingly over her shoulder. "Imagine, sent to bed at the age of 22."

When she was nestled into bed, she closed her eyes, but she couldn't get to sleep, couldn't stop thinking about Dick's letter. Turning on the small lamp at the wooden desk in the corner, she pulled a sheet of paper from underneath and a pen from her handbag. She chewed on the end of her pen for a second, trying to think of what to write. Eventually, she put pen to paper, forming her reply to him.

………………………….

_**18**__**th**__** February, 1945**_

Roseanna poured some water into the mixing bowl, whisking together the ingredients to the fruit pie she was about to make for Grammy to take to her bridge club meeting later, something she did every week with some of the other ladies from farms around the area. One thing that she liked about coming to Iowa was that she cooked and baked out there, something she never would back at the mansion. Partly because the machinery in their kitchen back home was so modern and so big that she wouldn't have the foggiest as to how to use any of it.

"Busy, Rosie?" Her grandfather asked, poking his head round the kitchen door. "Mmm, something smells good."

"Your very polite, Gramps," She laughed. "But I haven't even put it into the oven yet."

"I've been caught out, I see," He said, his wrinkles crinkling as he laughed. "Well I'm driving into Danbury after I've put out the chicken feed to run a few errands for your grandmother. Do you want to come along?"

"Oh, yes please," She said, her eyes lighting up. "I have to post a letter."

……………………….

Danbury was bustling for all of it's 300-strong population on a Friday afternoon. After helping her grandfather buy some things at the general store and pick some blue wool from the craft store, they made their way to the post office. Whilst Roseanna went over to the desk to post her letter, her grandfather went over to check their post box. As a lot of the residents of Danbury lived outside of the town, daily home delivery was impossible, so most had their post box situated in the post office itself, supplied with a key to keep it locked and their post secure. When she'd handed in her letter to Dick, she made her way back over to her grandfather, who was thumbing through some letters.

"Anything good?" She asked, peering over his shoulder.

"Oh, this one is for you," He said, handing her a thick envelope. "I think it's from Annie. Lark at you, Roseanna, here for a day and already having mail delivered."

She laughed, taking the letter from him, looking at Annie's handwriting on the front. She was about to open it when she heard a shriek coming from nearby. It caught the attention of everyone in the Danbury Post Office. Panicked, she looked over, wide-eyed, to locate the screamer. A woman, probably in her mid-forties, clutching a letter to her chest, sinking to the floor as sobs racked her body and piercing screams of protest escape her lips. Immediately, several women nearby ran to her aid, bending down to ask what was wrong and what the problem was.

"Who is she, Grandpa?" Roseanna asked, whispering to her grandfather.

"Mary Ducksworth," He whispered back, shaking his head in sympathy at the poor woman. "From the Ducksworth's farm, about three miles east of Danbury.

"What do you suppose is wrong?" Annie said, her eyes zooming in on the letter clutched tightly to the woman's chest. "That letter…."

"Her son, Zachary, was drafted along with everyone else. Ended up in France last I heard. I suppose…I suppose it's bad news, the letter….," He said, putting a hand on Roseanna's back and ushering her out of the door. "Let's go, Sweetheart. You shouldn't see that."

"I suppose you can't escape the war anywhere you go," She said, sighing heavily when the got outside. She banged her boot off of the pavement, trying to rid it of the snow that stuck hard around it.

"Apparently not, my dear," He said, pointing across to the coffee shop across the road. "Can I interest you in a cocoa with your old Gramps?"

"I could go for a coffee, actually," She said as they crossed the road.

"A coffee?" He raised his eyes, surprised. "When did you start drinking coffee?"

"In Belgium," She laughed. "When it's the only hot liquid available you drink it without question, even develop a taste for it, actually."

Inside, Roseanna settled down at a table by the window as her grandfather went up to the counter to order from the barista. Taking the letter from Annie out of her bag, she ripped it open. A letter fell out, along with another envelope. Excitement coursing through her body at the sight of the other letter, she began to read the letter first of all:

_Rosie,_

_This letter arrived literally hours after you left. You said to forward you anything with a military stamp. This letter didn't have one of those but I noticed that the return address was from a SERGEANT Bill Guarnere, so I thought it might be of interest to you. It's not from your Captain, though. Who is this one? Exactly how many "acquaintances" did you make over there, Roseanna? Hope all is well, and I miss you already. Keep in touch._

_Annie _

A letter from Bill? He wrote? He actually wrote? She ripped open the envelope:

_Dear Roseanna,_

_Sorry it took me so long to write to you, but this is literally the first chance I've had to do it. Turns out that an injured Bill Guarnere is a desirable Bill Guarnere. I've been very in demand. Everywhere I go, people seem to want smother me with attention. I'll tell ya, the good people of the United States go crazy for a serviceman returning from the war. The other fellas have a hell of a lot to look forward to when they get home, I'll tell ya! Not that I'm looking for any of this attention since I found my way back into Frannie's loving arms. I've never been so happy to see any one in my whole damn life, even came to visit me in the military hospital we got to back home. It seemed like she got twice as pretty in the time that we've been apart. Not the case, she's always been a looker, but I guess I just missed her so much she looks so much better to me. The first thing I did when I got back was to offer to make an honest woman out of her. She said yes, thank God, so we'll be married by the summer. _

_I hope this reaches you safe back home in the States. Surely you still can't be out there in the Ardennes? No, I have more faith in the U.S Army than that. I'm sure you're back home by now, going around your showbiz parties, telling all the celebrities how you had to slum it with us average Joes for a month. Speaking of Joes, I hope Toye kept up with his end of the deal. He ended up being right about the book, I only managed to read a chapter by the time we got to the boat home, so he stole it off of me, said I'd had enough time. I hope everything went smoothly with the good Captain. Okay, I think that's enough now, I've nearly filled up both sides of this sheet and I only have the one sheet left. Remember what I said about if you're ever in Philly. _

_All the best,_

_Bill._

_PS- Please write back to me, for God's sake, just for Frannie's peace of mind. That's right, she didn't believe me when I told her that Roseanna Caine had asked me to write to her. She thought I'd lost my mind out there in Europe, so please write back so I can prove to her that I didn't go completely nuts._

Roseanna burst out laughing, reading the last part of the letter as her grandfather came back over to the table, holding two steaming cups of coffee.

"What's so funny?" He asked, setting a cup down in front of her and sitting down. "Is that your letter from Annie? What's Lola done now?"

………………………………..

_**26**__**th**__** February, 1945- train en route to Mourmelon, France**_

Dick leaned back in his plush train chair, anticipating their re-arrival in Mourmelon, where he could have a shower and a good night's sleep. About a month after they'd been scheduled to (after that rerouting to Hagenau), the company had finally been relieved and were on their way to Mourmelon, where more drills would be scheduled. Still, at least for the most part the boys could relax and recoup for a while. It was much needed. He looked at Harry, snoring loudly opposite him in his seat, smiling for a brief moment before turning his attention back to the rolling countryside beyond the window.

"Dick," Nix's voice came from behind him, followed by a piece of paper being struck down on his head.

"What, the…?" He asked, looking over at Nix as he sat down opposite him, Next to Harry. He nodded at him. "Nix."

"Dick," Nix matched, frowning and shaking his head disdainfully at Harry next to him before turning his attention back to Dick. "How can you concentrate with that noise?"

"I've managed to zone it out of my mind," Dick said, smiling gently at him. "Thanks for reminding me. What did you hit me with?"

"What, this?" Nix held up an envelope. "It's for you."

Dick took the letter from him, flipping him over and seeing the return address listed under Roseanna's name. "Where'd you get this?"

"I went to check with Vest if I'd gotten any post, just in case my _wife_ decided to write to me," Nix said, his tone souring a little. "She hadn't, just in case you were wondering. _But_, he asked me to give this to you. Said it came this morning before we left."

"Well, thanks," Dick said, putting the letter on his lap and hoping Nix hadn't noticed the return address.

"So that first letter must've been good," Nix said, looking at Dick, amused. "Since she managed to reply to you."

"Did you doubt me?" Dick teased, shaking his head.

"Well…" Nix said, shrugging his shoulders and screwing up his face jokingly.

They fell silent as Dick looked back down at the envelope.

Nix took the hint, standing up and patting Dick on the shoulder. "Well, I'll leave you to it. Enjoy."

When he was alone, bar the sleeping Harry, he ripped open the envelope:

_Dick,_

_I was so pleased to hear from you. I was sorry to not get the chance to say a proper goodbye in Mourmelon. Yes, I made it home safely, but I think ultimately a changed woman. Don't get me wrong, I love that I can bathe whenever I want and have access to a menu that extends beyond Joe Domingus' refried beans. Still, I can't help thinking about my time in the Ardennes. Seeing what everyone there is going through, the dangers you are all (not to mention all of the soldiers fighting on the allied side throughout Europe as well) facing. It's floored me. I mean, the USO taught me nothing, clearly, showed me nothing of the harsh realities. Now, suddenly everything I found so important before seems so ridiculously superficial. I tried to readapt for weeks but I think it'll take me a bit longer, so I've left the big city behind for a while for the more peaceful pastures of Iowa, where my grandparents live. So far, it's like a breath of fresh air out here on their secluded, small farm. The sounds of cars, audiences and flashing camera bulbs have been replaced by the gentle clucking of chickens and the wind blowing softly through the trees. Plus, everything's so pretty covered in snow. I wish that you could see it, maybe you will one day._

_Until then, keep yourself safe over there and, if you get the chance, look out for the others and give them my warmest regards. Also, ask George Luz if he's learned to keep secrets yet. Oh, and write back if you find the time. _

_Roseanna._

_PS- Thank you again for everything you did for me out there. I'll always be grateful. _


	16. Chapter 16 Persuasion

**Falling Star Chapter 16**

…………………………….

_Roseanna,_

_We're in Mourmelon at the moment, finally, after being relieved in Hagenau. Around four weeks later than scheduled but who's counting? It's good to be back here, where we can all finally have a well-deserved rest and recoup and little. Well, I say "we" can all have a good rest but really it's just the men, I've come back facing a mountain of paperwork. _

_  
I'm glad to hear that you made it back safely, and thanks for keeping me abreast of things. I'd almost forgotten that other food existed apart from Joe Domingus' beans! Iowa sounds idyllic, but then it's the peacefulness, isn't it? Since I landed in France, surrounded by all this chaos, I've been dreaming about a quiet, rural life in the country somewhere. Somewhere that's away from fighting, away from gunshots, away from all of this noise. All of that aside, don't lose who you are just because of what you've been through. Can you really stay there forever? Don't turn away from your past, Roseanna, not on all of the things you've done, on all of the music you've made. That, I'm sure, would disappoint several Roseanna Caine fans, mentioning no names in particular, of course. _

_Dick._

……………………………..

_Dick,_

_I suppose paperwork increases with promotion. Congratulations, by the way. I forgot to mention in my last letter. _

_I've been here around a month or so now, and I still don't have any particular plans to return to New York City just yet. I think the time here has been good for me. I've written a few songs, taken up the piano again and I've become a dab hand at milking cows. I know I can't stay here forever, but for now it's a nice escape. Escape from what, you might ask. Well, whatever comes next, I suppose. My father has been writing to me in the hopes of persuading me into another USO tour with Lola and himself. "All of the Caine Family together" he says. I don't think that I could stand it. I don't think I even have the energy for it anymore- the Caine Family, that is. Maybe I will just stay here after all. It's so picturesque that it's almost entrancing. Is that your plan for after the war then? To lock yourself away in the country somewhere? If that's the case then I'd highly recommend Iowa. _

_From what I've been reading in the newspaper, it shouldn't too long until you're all back home. Everyday I read that the German forces continue to retreat. I also read that congratulations are in order, that the entire 101__st__ were given the Presidential Unit Citation. That includes you, doesn't it?_

_Regards,,_

_Roseanna._

……………………………_._

_**April 10**__**th**__**, 1945- Sturzelburg, Germany**_

Dick sipped from a cup of hot coffee, looking out of the large bay window of the plush room in the impressive town house he was stationed in in Sturzelburg. It was all silent outside. _Well_, he thought to himself, it was only just shy of 6 a.m. He enjoyed the sight of sunlight streaming through windows again, it almost made Germany look easy on the eye.

"Up early," Nix commented, knocking on the door briefly before letting himself in.

"Aren't I always?" Dick asked rhetorically, crossing the room and setting his cup down on the ornate desk, putting his hands on his hips.

"That's what I meant," Nix laughed to himself, stepping further into the room. "Anyway, I'm heading out."

"Heading out?" Dick repeated, then nodding. "Oh right, the jump? What time?"

"Scheduled for 7.30," Nix said. "I can think of better things to do but there you go."

"I'm sure you could," Dick smiled over at him, running his finger absent-mindedly along the desk.

Nix looked over at the desk at Dick's finger, his attention drawn to the pen and paper set out, prepped for writing. "Catching up on your correspondence."

Dick didn't reply as Nix strolled over, picking up Roseanna's latest letter and unfolding it. "What's the good lady saying anyway?"

"Oh please, feel free to read my mail," Dick joked, but tensing slightly as he saw Nix begin to read.

Lew stopped, looking over at him, grinning. "Feel free to tell me to go to hell."

"No, it's fine. Go ahead," He waved a hand dismissively at him, picking up his coffee cup and having another sip.

"No plans to return to New York, potential USO tour…," Lew mumbled to himself as he scanned the page, suddenly letting out a laugh. "Christ, is this the same Roseanna Caine? Talking about war news? She couldn't have seemed less clueless about it all while she was in the goddamn thick of it."

"Well, people change I suppose," Dick shrugged, attempting to defend her. He knew Nix was right though, Roseanna _had_ been clueless.

"Well," Nix set the letter back down on the desk. "If I didn't know any better I'd say she was trying to impress you, Dick."

"Thanks for the insight, Nix," Dick smiled, rolling his eyes as he sat down at the desk. "Didn't you say you had to get going?"

"Alright, alright, I can take the hint," Lew said, making for the door.

"Oh, and Nix?" Dick called him back.

"Yeah?"

"Good luck."

………………………………….

_**April 23**__**rd, **__**1945- Danbury, Iowa**_

Winter had turned to spring in Danbury, melting the snow and allowing the flowers to show their first blooms. The temperature had improved enough to allow a fresh farmers market every Saturday morning in the town centre, which provided more work to be done, more ways for Roseanna to keep herself busy. Life, in turn, had seemed to return to the farm, with the arrival of animal young and the return of the farm hands, Roger and Marvin. On one particular Thursday morning Roseanna found herself in the barn, milking the cows early in the morning. She hadn't lied in her letter to Dick, she really had become proficient in doing it, taking the task on as her own during the winter so that her grandparents didn't have to do it everyday. As she worked, she hummed to herself, completely lost in her own thoughts.

"Morning," A voice said, interrupting her, causing her to jolt, sending a spray of milk up into the air. "Careful!"

She resumed her position, looking up at the door of the barn to find Roger, one of the farm hands, staring back at her, having just dodged out of the way of the spray. He was a year older than her and had served as a live-in farm hand with her grandparents since he was fifteen, when they'd taken him in almost as foster parents after he'd lost his parents. She knew him well, and they'd spent summers together when she'd visited. He was extremely loyal to her grandparents and a very hard-worker, despite suffering from medical ailments, nothing that prevented him from working but ones which had apparently been enough to make him non-eligible for the draft. She smiled apologetically at him. "Sorry, Rog."

"Don't worry," He said, setting down the bale of hay he'd been carrying and pulling up a stool next to her, watching her work. "Careful now, you're getting very good at that. I might be out of a job soon if I'm not careful."

She chuckled, never once looking up from what she was doing. "Don't be silly, Rog. You know my grandparents would never fire you. You're the son they never had."

"True, but you still look like you could give me a run for my money," He joked, motioning for her to move over. "But you'd better let me take over for now. Your grandma sent me out to tell you to come inside."

"Okay," She stood up, watching for a moment as he took over. She jokingly patted him on the back. "Tighter, Roger. You should hold them tighter so that it comes out easier."

He rolled his eyes, giving her a smile. "Like I said, your grandmother wants you."

She moseyed out of the barn, squinting against the sunshine as she made her way across the field and up the wooden steps of the back porch, entering the kitchen door. "Grammy!"

"Oh, there you are," Her grandmother walked in from the sitting room, wiping her wet hands on a dishtowel. "You weren't at the breakfast table this morning."

"I wasn't hungry. Thought I'd get an early start, instead," She shook her head. "You shouted on me?"

"Oh yes," Her grandmother replied, remembering. She pointed over to the sideboard. "Your grandfather picked up a letter for you from the post office this morning. It's over there."

"Oh," She said, giddily retrieving it and confirming from the handwriting that it was from who she hoped it would be. She sat down at the kitchen table, beginning to tear at the envelope. Stopping when she noticed Grammy plonking down on the seat opposite her, staring at her. "Yes, Grammy?"

Grammy smiled innocently, motioning towards her letter. "I couldn't help but notice that you've received several letters now from the same return address."

"Checking my letters, Grammy?" She fluttered her eyelashes at her grandmother, smiling. "Now, I heard that you used to get cross with mom when she spied on the post before you'd opened it."

Grammy waved her hands defensively. "Now, now. Call it a grandmother's loving concern. Care to tell me about this young man?"

Roseanna set her letter down on the table, thinking of how best to explain to her grandmother about Dick, tactfully omitting the part about how she'd drunkenly thrown herself at him. She opened her mouth, but was instantly cut off by the sharp ringing of the telephone in the hallway.

"Safe…for now," Grammy wiggled her finger at her, making her way to answer the telephone. "Willowpeaks Farm, Martha speaking…oh, hello William."

_Shit, dad_, Roseanna thought to herself, standing up and waving her arms manically to get Grammy's attention. She shook her head, indicating that, as far as her father was concerned, she wasn't in.

Grammy nodded her head, waving a hand at her. "No…no I'm sorry Roseanna's not here at the moment. She's just popped out actually into town with Marvin to run a few errands for me. Marvin, Marvin our farm hand. Yes, he's trustworthy. Anyway, I'll tell her that you'll telephone later. Okay, goodbye William."

"Thanks, Grammy," She smiled appreciatively as her grandmother came back into the kitchen, sitting down in front of her again.

"Not a problem," Grammy shook her head. "But…you'll need to talk to him sometime, Roseanna."

"I know, I know," She sighed, looking away and out of the window.

"Don't sound like a sulking adolescent. He just cares about you," Grammy reasoned.

"I know, Grammy," She replied firmly, trying to change the subject. "I'll speak to him later, I promise."

"Okay. Now…you were saying about this young man?"

………………………………

_Dear Roseanna,_

_Don't come back to Europe just yet, I'm only just recovering from having to take care of you last time. That said, I think you'd really like where we are now. We are stationed in Sturzelburg in Germany. Yes, we've finally entered Germany. It's quite a beautiful town, actually, where the locals are surprisingly friendly, the buildings are homely and where there is a hint of green pasture in the distance. I think that it's the weather that you'd really enjoy though, the sun is actually shining. It's a far cry from Bastogne. The men seem to be in better spirits here, too. There is the general feeling that, since we've made it into Germany, that this conflict might be starting to draw to a close. Speaking of which, what you've read in the newspaper would appear to be correct. If I may say without sounding rude, what has brought on the sudden burst of knowledge about the war? Lew was reading your letter earlier and he commented that he's seen a great change in the Roseanna Caine that was out in the Ardennes. I, on the other hand, happen to like that you've been keeping abreast of the situation, in particular the Presidential Unit Citation. _

_I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying yourself out there and that you're learning new things, even though I have to say that I can't imagine a young starlet such as yourself milking a cow but I promise I'll take your word for it. Have you changed your mind about giving up on the Caines? If so, then what's next for you, Roseanna? _

_  
Best Regards,_

_Dick. _

………………………………

_**April 26**__**th**__**, 1945- Danbury, Iowa**_

Driving back from the town centre with Roger in his beat-up truck, Roseanna was feeling good about herself, having picked up some groceries for her grandmother and mailed off her latest letter to Dick. She whistled to herself.

"You seem pleased with yourself," Roger commented, a hand hanging leisurely out of the window.

"Maybe," She teased, relaxing her chair, commenting. "Beautiful day, isn't it?"

"So…are you living here permanently, now?" He blurted out.

She gasped, feigning shock. "That eager to get rid of me, are you?"

"I didn't mean it like that," He rolled his eyes. "It's just your visits are normally more fleeting than this."

"Well," she pondered as he drove up into the driveway. "I'm just enjoying the change of scenery, I suppose."

When he'd finally parked, she bounded out and up the steps, whistling. "Grammy! I'm home!"

"In the living room dear," Grammy's voice called out.

Turning on her heel, she bounded into the sitting…stopping in her tracks when she saw her father sitting cross-legged in the single-seater by the fireplace, looking entirely out of place in his designer suit. "Daddy?"

"Hello, Pumpkin," He beamed at her, standing up and holding his arms out.

Although she'd been avoiding his phone calls, she couldn't disguise her delight in seeing him in the flesh again, falling into his arms. "It's good to see you! I can't believe you've come all of this way!"

"Well, you left me no choice, did you?" He laughed, releasing her from his embrace. "You're harder to get on the telephone than Frank Sinatra. And that's saying something!"

"I'll leave you both alone to talk," Grammy piped up, making a sharp exit.

Roseanna sat down opposite him on the sofa. "Did you come here to bring me back?"

"No…," He said, rather unconvincingly.

She arched her eyebrow at him.

"Well," He threw his hands in the air. "I thought I'd have a shot at convincing you, but even if you say no…then at most I'm happy to spend a few days with you."

"A few days?" She echoed.

"Well, I've had the okay to stay from your grandparents, so why not?" He beamed at her. "I thought that you could show me what you've been doing here, working on the farm and suchlike."

"You want to help out on the farm?" She joked, pointing to his designer suit.

"Well," He said, smoothing out his tie. "After a change of clothing, obviously."

……………………………

An hour later William Caine, in borrowed overalls, sat awkwardly on the small wooden stools, attempting to squeeze some milk from Bess the dairy cow's suddenly reluctant udder. Roseanna did her best to give instruction from beside him, whilst Roger leaned against the barn door, watching sceptically.

"This is harder than it looks, I must say," William said, feeling sweat emerging already on his brow.

"Don't be afraid of it, daddy," Roseanna laughed, pointing at how tenderly he was holding onto the teat. "Get a good firm grip!"

Roger sniggered from the door.

"Not helping, Roger," She commented, rolling her eyes and flashing him a cheeky smile.

"I don't want to hurt the poor thing," William said, frowning.

"You won't hurt her dad," She said. "Honestly, you won't. You've got to be firm or else nothing will come out."

William took his daughter's instruction and, to his delight, a quick burst of milk came shooting out into the tin pail positioned directly below the cow's udder. "Well, now look at that!"

"There we go!" She exclaimed, almost proudly.

"Well, I'm getting the hang of this now," He said, excitedly grabbing hold again and squeezing for all his might. Despite Roseanna's promise, this startled Bess somewhat, causing her to shift quickly, sending William and the pail flying backwards. Sprawled on his back, he hoisted himself up on his elbows to glare at his daughter.

"Maybe I was wrong, but then Bess is temperamental," She said, trying to stifle laughter as she held up a hand to help him onto his feet. "Sorry, dad."

…………………………..

_**April 30**__**th**__**, 1945- Danbury, Iowa**_

"Does my suit look alright?" William asked, climbing out of the car as Gramps parked it outside of the town hall, where they'd all come for the monthly social. A dance, if you will, that took place at the end of every month, a chance for everyone from the surrounding farms to get together every month and enjoy a drink together.

"You look very…dapper, Wiliam," Grammy reassured him, leaning into Roseanna's ear. "I think he overdressed slightly for the occasion."

"That's dad for you," Roseanna whispered back, giggling. Before they entered the big hall, she smoothed out her demure, blue button-down dress. Plain, yes, but she'd found it in her mother's wardrobe and had quite liked it. "Say, Grammy…did you happen to spread the word around town that William Caine was here?"

"No," Grammy shook her head. "I never got round to it. Watch this…."

They all walked into the hall, William leading the way. Roseanna marvelled as a slight hush developed throughout the halls, some staring open-mouthed at him, others disbelievingly whispering _it can't be_ to each other. She shook her head, putting a hand on Grammy's shoulder. "Incredible. I've been here for months now and no one even pays me the slightest bit of recognition, but when Dad shows up…."

"Well, dear," Grammy shrugged. "You've been coming here since you were young, they see you a lot. Your father on the other hand…."

"Pffft," She blew out through her lips as they walked further into the hall, although soon found herself enjoying the attention as the excited Mayor, upon recognising him, declared he'd be honoured if they all joined him at the top table, promptly motioning for them to follow him.

………………………………

"Mr. Caine, I must reiterate what a pleasure it is to have you here with us this evening," the Mayor gushed from beside him at the table after dinner. "My wife read in the newspaper that you've been touring with the USO. Most generous of you, I must say, inspiring the troops out there."

"Well, that's very kind of you to say so," William said, placing a hand earnestly to his chest, knowing how to work his audience. "It's necessary work for entertainers these days, I really believe. I like to think I've instilled that in my daughters as well. I'm sure that you heard Roseanna here toured as well with her sister, Lola."

"Yes, yes we read that," the Mayor said, addressing Roseanna for the first time that evening. "Very good of you, Miss Caine."

"Thank you, Sir," She nodded politely at him, looking away again at her grandparents dancing a slow waltz together.

"Mr Caine," The Mayor said, leaning in closer. "I was wondering, if it's not inappropriate of me to ask, whether you'd consider gracing us with a number this evening."

"On the contrary, Mr Mayor, it would be an absolute honour," He replied with faltering, as though he'd known it was going to come up. He motioned to Roseanna. "However, I think you'll know that it's my duets that I'm famed for, particularly with my daughters. So, with that in mind, I'd be more than happy to sing for you this evening, if only my daughter might accompany me."

"The more the merrier," the Mayor gushed, beaming as he nodded emphatically.

"Sorry, what?" Roseanna asked, tuning back into the conversation. "Sorry, I missed that."

"A duet, Pumpkin. What do you say?" He said, motioning for her to stand up.

"Oh," She shook her head, panicked. "I don't know about that, dad."

He shook his firmly. He knew his daughter still had it in her, however much she wanted to believe she didn't. He put a hand on her back, coaxing her onto her feet. "Come now, Roseanna. We wouldn't want to disappoint these good people, would we?"

…………………………………

Roseanna awoke early the next morning after a largely sleepless night. She'd tossed and turned, thinking about how exhilarated she'd been to perform with her father, even if it was to such a small, small-town crowd. Singing alongside him gave her a rush, but only when it was the two of them. She'd realised something last night, singing _was_ in her, made her feel alive. Not only that, but when she sang along with her father, just the two of them on stage, she felt closer to him than at any other point. Dressing quickly, she made her way down to the kitchen with the view to preparing him a hearty breakfast. To her surprise, however, he was already awake and sitting at the kitchen table, nursing a cup of coffee.

"Morning," She said, announcing her presence. She helped herself to a cup before joining him at the table.

"Sleep well, Pumpkin?"

"Yes," she lied.

"Last night…," He marvelled, leaning back in his chair as he looked at her proudly. "You and your old dad singing together again. I've missed that. We haven't sung together since…since…."

"Since before I went to college," She finished for him, sipping gingerly from her cup.

"That's right," He nodded, reminiscing. His eyes took on a certain sadness as he looked at her. "I rather enjoyed last night, if I may say so. It felt a little like the old days."

"The old days?" She echoed.

"Well…when we…we used to be closer," He said, saying it out loud for the first time.

"We're still close, dad…," She said, looking away.

"Yes, we were very close when you were little," He nodded. "But we've lost each other a little along the way."

"Since I went to college," She mused.

"No, I think it was before that," He shook his head gently. "Since I married Eleanor…and you had to start sharing me, when you'd never had to before."

"Well," She shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "I knew you'd remarry someday dad. I wasn't an idiot to think you'd stay unmarried, forever."

"Still, I know it's been hard for you, seeing Lola and I growing so close," He continued.

She looked down, swallowing deeply, resenting the words as they escaped her mouth. "Well, you've always had more in common I suppose. She's always shown more interest in singing than me, in terms of having it as a career rather than just a pastime."

He nodded, agreeing. "That wasn't the case for you, however. I knew all along that you didn't really want to be forced into the limelight from such a young age. In retrospect, that was unfair of Eleanor, unfair of _me_. I always thought that that was why you removed yourself from it to go to college. To take a stand."

"I suppose it was, partly," She admitted, nodding. "I wanted to learn, primarily, but it was nice going somewhere with a lot of other girls, where I could slink into the crowd and be in the audience for once."

"I know that singing is still in your heart though," He said, a grin etching it's way onto his face. "I saw it in your eyes last night when you were on stage. I know because it's the same look your mother swore that she saw in my eyes whilst I sang in front of her. Like it's something within."

"You're right," She nodded, matching his smile. "I _do_ love it, just not the lifestyle."

"I take it, then, that you're not coming home with me," He said, looking down. "I'd like very much for us to spend some more quality time together."

"Dad," She swallowed. "The city is so…."

"I know, I know…" He nodded, putting a hand to his chin, thinking. "What if we take a little trip somewhere, just the two of us."

"A trip?" She repeated, frowning. "A trip where?"

"Well…what if we go to Philadelphia?" He suggested, his eyes lighting up. "What do you say? I know I haven't been there in years but I'll show you where your old man was brought up, show you all of my old haunts…show you that there was a Billy Caine from the streets before he became _William Caine. _Plus, it's on the way to New York. Perhaps afterwards you could come home just for a few days and see how you feel. No pressure at all and, even if you don't want to stay, it's a chance for you to see Annie._"_

She thought longingly. He was such a persuasive man, her father, and she relished the chance to spend some time alone with him.

"What do you say?" He repeated, smiling charmingly at him.

She smiled, laughing as she looked down. She didn't even have to reply to him. Her face gave it all away. She'd agreed.

……………………………

_Dear Dick,_

_Sturzelburg sounds really beautiful. Honestly Dick, if you're trying to dissuade me from coming back to Europe then you're going entirely the wrong way about it! I'm glad that the men are in good spirits, I'll try and picture them that way as I don't like picturing them the way that I saw them that night in the convent in Rachamps. However, it makes me both happy and nervous to know that you're in Germany. Happy because it obviously means that we're a step closer to winning this war but nervous because the newspapers constantly tell us what a breeding ground for evil it is._

_Anyway, please inform Captain Nixon that I'm not quite as clueless as I look and that I did, in fact, take some political science classes at Sarah Lawrence…albeit briefly! The knowledge is mostly there, even if I don't know all of your fancy military-speak. Anyway, more importantly…why have you been letting Captain Nixon read my letters anyway, Dick? It makes me think that Captain Nixon might be quite nosy. Hi, Lew! _

_What's next for Roseanna Caine? I don't know anymore. My father paid me a visit on the farm this week, to see how I've been doing. My fault really for not staying in touch well enough with him. In fact, I've probably kept in better contact with you than him. He spent a few days on the farm, trying to learn how to be a farm hand, bless him. Anyway, he managed to talk me into coming back to New York for a few days with him, which is where I'm going as soon as I send this letter so you'd best send your next letter there rather than Iowa. We will be travelling to New York via Philadelphia, so that he can show me where he grew up. It'll be nice to go and spend some time with him, plus I've never been there before. I might even pay Bill Guarnere an unsuspecting visit! _

_Looking forward to hearing from you again soon._

_Yours,_

_Roseanna._


	17. Chapter 17 From Philly to New York

**Falling Star Chapter 17**

Hello there, apologies if this chapter is short and boring but I just wanted to get it out of the way as it was necessary before Roseanna finally gets herself back to Europe, woohoo! Hope you're all enjoying and thank you so much for the reviews, they mean a lot to me.

……………………

_**2**__**nd**__** May, 1945- South Philadelphia**_

The taxicab came to a gentle stop outside of a brick tenement. Elegantly as possible, Roseanna emerged, her face shielded for the most part by a fashionable, wide-brimmed hat. She was followed moments later by William Caine, dark sunglasses on his face. As Roseanna gave the awed driver some money, William put his hands on his hips, taking a big, appreciative breath as he looked around him. "Smells like home. Brings it all back."

"Home?" She echoed, smoothing out her skirt and tossing him a look. "Daddy, you grew up on the complete opposite side of Philadelphia."

William raised his eyebrows momentarily. "Yes, but still."

Roseanna pulled Bill's letter from her pocket, checking that the house number on the return address matched the one on this front door. "This is the one."

"Excellent," William said, putting his best foot forward. "By the by, Pumpkin, who is this man again? He must be important enough for you to be dragging me on a house visit, which you know I _don't_ do."

"A friend from Belgium, Daddy," she told him again for the hundredth time, giving him the same answer that never seemed to satisfy him. "Come on."

She walked in front of him a few steps up to the front door, pausing a moment before rapping loudly on the knocker. She heard instantly the scrabbling of feet inside, mobilising, making their way to the door, growing louder every second. Suddenly the door opened, revealing a fuller-figured, rosy-cheeked lady in what seemed like her late forties/early fifties, an apron tied tightly around her waist. She squinted at the sight of this sunglasses-clad gentleman in a designer suit and the seemingly faceless entity, completed covered by her hat. Apparently, not normal round those parts.

"Can I help you folks?" She asked, tucking the dishtowel in her hand into the fold of her apron.

Roseanna tilted her head up, her face suddenly becoming visible. "We're here to visit Bill Guarnere. I'm a friend of his. Is he home, ma'am?"

"_Friend of his?" _The woman echoed.

"My daughter, not me…I haven't had the pleasure of making his acquaintance yet," William piped up in his silky tones, removing his sunglasses to reveal his face.

"William…William Caine?" She asked, her eyes growing wide in disbelief.

"That's right," Her father reached out, took the woman's hand in his and smoothly kissed it gingerly. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

Eyes still agog, the woman withdraw her hand, holding it tentatively, limply in the air, as though it was wet. "William Caine…on my own doorstep?"

"It would appear so," Her father said, laughing amicably as he took a step further up the stoop.

_Thud_.

……………………………………………

An hour later William and Roseanna climbed another set of porch stairs to a similar house further along South Philly. As she knocked on the door, William quickly put his sunglasses back on his face, looking around him anxiously. "My all of these houses are so close together."

She rolled her eyes at him. "I think the secret's out, daddy. Take those off."

No answer. She knocked again, louder this time.

"Alright, alright!" Bill's noticeable voice came from the other side. "I'm comin', I'm comin'. Geez, how bout a little patience?"

The door burst open, Bill at the door. The initial flash of annoyance in his eyes at Roseanna's rapid succession of knocks on the door quickly dissipated when he noticed her. "…Roseanna?"

"Hi, Bill," She beamed at him.

"Christ, it _is_ you! I couldn't recognise you at first under that thing?" He said, pointing to her head. "Geez, what'd you use that as a propeller to fly here?"

"Funny," She said sarcastically, rolling her eyes but gently disentangling her wide-brimmed hat from her hair, holding it between her arm and her side.

Bill noticed her father for the first time, his eyes growing as wide as his mother's when she'd seen him. "Shi- I mean, geez…Mr Caine?"

"William, son," William held out his hand to this sassy friend of his daughter's.

"William Guarnere, Sir," Bill said, almost nervously shaking that hand that had been offered to him. "Hey, two Williams. How about that. Bill, for short, Sir. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise. My daughter's told me a lot about you," William said, politely lying.

"All good things, I hope," Bill said, smiling jokingly. "But it couldn't possibly be any other way, I assure you, Sir."

"I'm sure,"

"Sorry to just drop by, Bill, but we were in town for the day and…," Roseanna explained.

"No, no," Bill waved his hands. "I'm glad you stopped by. Come on in, you have to meet my wife, Sir."

Roseanna stopped in her tracks, echoing. "Your _wife_? I thought you weren't getting married til the summer?"

"Turns out a man can't wait that long," He smiled.

"Wow, that's fantastic. Congratulations Bill," She congratulated him. "When was the big day?"

"Couple of weeks ago," Bill said, standing aside to usher them inside. "You're lucky you didn't show up earlier actually, we just got back from our honeymoon. Anyway, come on in and meet her."

Roseanna stepped aside to let her father walk in first, following him close, side by side with Bill.

"How did you find my house, out of interest?" Bill asked her in a hushed voice as they walked in.

"Well, I had that letter you sent me so we went to the return address on the envelope, which turned out to be your mother's place. Lovely lady, by the way. She was slightly surprised to see us…and fainted," Roseanna explained, grinning sheepishly.

"Christ, she fainted?" Bill echoed, laughing.

"So after we picked her up off the floor and waited about 20 minutes for my father to sign all of her vinyl, she told us you lived here," She finished.

"Told you she'd shit a break," He whispered quietly so that her father couldn't hear the language. He guided them into the kitchen. "Hey, Fran, look who dropped by."

Roseanna set eyes on curly-haired, rosy-lipped and rosy cheeked, who was humming as she dried some white dinner plates with a dishtowel. Upon hearing her husband's voice entering the kitchen, she looked up. She paused for a moment as she set her eyes on William and Roseanna, her mouth falling open in surprise. Suddenly, frozen, she dropped the plate that she'd been drying, sending a large clatter around the room.

Bill winced, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Well, the wedding china was nice while it lasted."

"Oh my…word!" She breathed, clutching the dishtowel to her chest, continuing to stare at William Caine. Stepping over the pile of broken china, she made her way toward him, tossing over her shoulder at Bill as she went. "Clear that up would you, Sweetheart? William Caine? Oh my…William Caine _here_ in _my_ house!"

"And may I say what a lovely house," William said, oozing charm.

Frannie stood in front of him, standing slightly closer to him than is appropriate for two people meeting for the first time, studying his face. "Well I'll be damned it _is_ you!"

"See, Fran," Bill said, clucking his tongue in triumph, holing an arm out to illustrate Roseanna standing next to him. "Told you I wasn't goin' nuts. Roseanna, as you can see here…and William Caine to boot."

Frannie clucked her tongue, walking back over to Bill and putting an arm around his waist, insisting. "Now, Sweetheart, I _never_ said that you were crazy." She cast an amused glance to Roseanna. "Not in so many words anyway."

Roseanna smiled at her. She liked this woman.

"Bill," Frannie hissed into Bill's ear. "Why didn't you tell me we'd be having guests so I'd have a chance to make the house nice."

"I had no idea," Bill said, apologetically kissing her cheek.

"Oh, a surprise visit. How lovely," Frannie beamed, sashaying back over to William. "Mr. Caine…would you mind awfully if I popped over to get some of the girls over. They are just gonna _die_ when they hear that William Caine is here in my house, in _my_ house. And Roseanna Caine, too!"

She didn't wait for William to reply, bounding out of the door.

……………………………

Twenty minutes later William Caine found himself surrounded by all of the ladies at least from the street, being bombarded with questions as the noise level rose considerably to a rabble. With her father present, Roseanna went virtually unnoticed. She and Bill stood at the kitchen door, just watching in amusement.

"Christ these broads are loud when they get together," Bill said, jokingly putting his hands over his ears. He pointed further into the kitchen. "Drink?"

"Love to," She said, walking inside and closing the door behind her. She followed him over to the breakfast counter, taking a seat.

"Frannie says you should always offer guests a cup of joe," Bill said, setting two coffee mugs on the table. Then, looking over at the door to make sure they weren't about to get rumbled, reached down underneath a low-down cupboard, pulling away the panel underneath and producing a bottle of whiskey. "But I think there's nothing wrong with having a little somethin' stronger every now and then. Better use these mugs though, so the missus doesn't find out."

"Amen to that," She said, taking a quick sip as he handed her the mug. "She's wonderful, Bill."

"Isn't she?" Bill smiled back, leaning against the fridge as they spoke. "I'm the luckiest guy in the world."

"And don't you forget it," She warned, feeling the whiskey send a warmth through her body. "Sorry I didn't get you a present."

Bill shook his head. "You kiddin' me? Your father's the damn gift. She'll be giddy from his visit for weeks."

"Well in that case, you're _very_ welcome," She laughed, tilting her mug up in acknowledgement.

"Speaking of you old man…isn't he gonna kill you for leaving him stranded like this amongst all of those girls?" Bill asked, squinting at the noise growing ever-louder from the sitting room.

She shook her head. "He'll be in his element out there, surrounded by adoring fans. Besides, he owes me the favour, after dragging me all around North Philadelphia this morning."

"North Philly?" He echoed.

"Showing me around his old haunts, where he grew up, that sort of thing," Roseanna explained. "Father-daughter bonding."

"I guess he really missed you then, huh?"

"Yes, but he's trying to talk me into a new USO show," She said, smiling as she shook her head. "The three of us: Lola, him and I."

"They wanna set you loose again in Europe?" Bill teased. "Didn't they learn nothin' from last time?"

"Excuse me," She warned, laughing as she wagged a finger at him. "You sound like Dick."

"Aahh," Bill said, a glimmer in his eyes. "And how did things go with the good Captain?"

"The good Major, actually," She corrected, prompting a whistle from him. "And we've been writing to each other since I got back."

"Writing, huh?" Bill rubbed the stubble on his chin gently. "Did you tell him before you left."

"Well," She looked down. "No. But, really, he knows. He must know."

"How do you figure?"

"Well, because I told him before, _told him as much_, anyway," She said, shrugging.

"Geez," Bill said, taking a stool from beside her, dragging it around the counter so that he could sit opposite her. "I can't believe you're not jumping at the chance to get back to Europe actually."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, to go back and see him," Bill mused.

"The USO tour?" She asked, frowning. "I don't know, Bill. He made it clear that whilst he was there it was business, no time for anything else."

"Please," Bill rolled his eyes. "From what I've been readin' the Krauts are finished, it's just a matter of time now. Besides, according to Johnny Martin's wife, they're in a nice-lookin' part of Europe right now."

"Johnny Martin's wife?" She asked, curious.

"We went on our honeymoon at his place in Ohio," He explained. "Got to spend a few days with his wife. Nice lady."

"Hmm, I suppose," She said, a glimmer of hope igniting inside her. The thought of seeing him again. She frowned. "I don't know if I could arrange it to get to exactly where they are."

Bill scratched his head. "I don't know. The War Advertising Council seems to have strong ties with the USO, make it look positive again."

"Again?" She repeated, blushing.

"That's right," He smiled at her squirming. "I saw _that_ flier when I got back."

"Don't look at me like that, Bill Guarnere," She said, shaking her head. "I didn't make up the story!"

"I suppose that's true," He shrugged, drinking the last of his whiskey and hiding the bottle back under the panelling.

"Anyway," She changed the subject. "If you saw that flier, why didn't you just show it to Frannie so that she knew you weren't lying."

He thought for a minute, frowning. "Eh, maybe I'm not that smart."

……………………………………….

_**4**__**th**__** May, 1945- Caine Family Mansion**_

"The wanderer returns," Annie said, leaning against Roseanna's door, watching her unpack the few belongings she'd brought back with her.

Roseanna looked up, startled at the voice interrupting her thoughts. She beamed when she saw it was Annie, rushing forward to hug her. "It took you a day to get here?!"

"Official business, you know how it is working for Lola Caine," Annie rolled her eyes, pulling away. "How was life out in the country?"

"Mmmm, peaceful," Roseanna closed her eyes and smiled for a moment, abruptly opening them. "Then back to reality."

"Your dad is such a smooth talker, isn't he?" Annie teased, sitting down on the bed.

"He _is_ William Caine," Roseanna sighed, slumping down next to her, pulling her legs up to her chest and hugging them.

"So has he talked you into the USO tour yet?" Annie asked, intrigued.

"Not yet," She shook her head. "But I know that that is why I'm here this weekend. I'm ready for the onslaught of persuasion."

Annie didn't say something, just looked down at her lap. She didn't have to say anything, Roseanna knew that expression well. The expression that screamed there was something Annie wanted to say but couldn't. "What?"

"Nothing," Annie shook her head.

"Tell me," She replied, firmly.

"Well," Annie sighed. "I'm really not supposed to let on but…it's all planned, the tour."

"All planned?" Roseanna repeated, feeling her skin twitch.

"Yes. Dates, venues, songs…they've already planned it. Lola mostly, I should say," Annie admitted, sighing heavily. "All they really need is for you to say yes to seal the deal."

"Wow…," She breathed, deep in thought. "All taken care of?"

"More or less," Annie shrugged, throwing her a concerned look.

"That's…convenient, actually," Roseanna replied after a pause, nodding her head.

"What?" Annie raised her eyes. "You'd consider it?"

"Maybe...if…," She stopped, biting her lip. "I take it it was you who arranged the venues?"

"Isn't it always?"

"Have you arranged many?"

"A few confirmed, several more still pending," Annie explained. "A few confirmed in France, one in Holland, and we're aiming for one in Germany if the situation over if things become completely stable."

"And how much leeway do you have in organising shows?" She asked, leaning in closer.

Annie was slightly alarmed at the barrage of questions. "Erm…better since the flier was published, and even better since the war has turned almost entirely in our favour. Lots of troops just stationed in cleared areas and waiting, just waiting."

"So, if I agreed to go, would you be able to arrange something for me?" Roseanna asked, looking earnestly at her friends.

"That depends," Annie frowned. "…what is it?"

………………………………..

_Dear Roseanna,_

_My sincerest apologies for promoting Europe at this time of year. It's hard to control one's vocabulary when the scenery is this beautiful, or perhaps I just have a budding career in the travel industry ahead of me. I can't lie, it IS beautiful…too bad that it's tainted. I wont go into detail but, suffice it to say, I'm keen to get out of Germany now. _

_Lew offers his apologies and hopes that you'll forgive him any offence caused. He also apologises for having read your letters, stating that it's merely his job as Intelligence Officer to be kept up-to-date. Personally, I think that explains a lot. It's not that he thinks you're not smart, it's just that, as Intelligence Officer, he thinks he is a lot smarter than everyone else. _

_I hope that you enjoyed Philadelphia. I know it's too late but please pass my regards onto Bill, he's sorely missed out here. I hope that you find your return to New York as smooth as possible, easing any inner turmoil that you may have had. _

_Yours, _

_Dick._

……………………………

_**May 8**__**th**__**, 1945- Caine Family Mansion**_

Roseanna stared at the newspaper lying on the edge of her bed, the headline "VE DAY: VICTORY IN EUROPE" jumping out at her. She read it but she couldn't quite believe it was official, but the noises of whooping and cheering and car horns coming from the distance confirmed it. The house felt alive with activity, with hired-in staff downstairs busily preparing for the impromptu celebratory party her stepmother had insisted that they have. She peeked outside the window, to see men and women carrying in crates of alcohol, fruit and other sumptuous-looking food. _Well_, she thought to herself,_ it's now or never_.

She made her way downstairs and into the living room, where her father sat reading a copy of the same newspaper as was lying on her bed, whilst Lola was having her nails painted scarlet red by Annie. They all looked up as she entered the room, watched her leaning on the back of a stiff, antique armchair as she looked back at them.

"Pumpkin?" Her father asked inquisitively, his reading glasses on the end of his nose.

"I've made a decision," She said firmly. "About the tour."

"About time," Lola muttered under her breath.

"As I was saying," She continued, sharply. "I've decided that I'll do it. I'll come on the USO tour with you."

William clamped his newspaper shut, his eyes lighting up. "Pumpkin, that's fantastic. Isn't that fantastic, Lola Bear?"

"Mmm, _fantastic_," Lola said dryly, scrutinizing the work Annie was doing on her toenails.

"But…," Roseanna held up a hand, prompting Lola to look up at her. "On the condition that I get some say in the venues."

Lola shook her head insistently. "No, no it's all arranged now. Everything's planned."

"Well, I'm going to alter those plans a little," She said, shooting Lola a cold stare before turning to her father with compassionate eyes. "I mean, daddy, it's only an extra few days and I'd _love_ to go back and sing for the soldiers I was stuck with in Belgium. You can understand that…_cant you?_"

"Well…," William sighed deeply, already convinced.

……………………………………………


	18. Chapter 18 Inner Peace in Zell Am See

**Falling Star Chapter 18**

Hiya. This chapter is a little overdue, I know, but uni work has begun and is beginning to get mightily in the way. I'll try and update sooner though. I don't want to abandon this story because it's so fun to write. I think my dates might be a little off in this chapter by the way, but I hope it's not too bad : ).

Also, I've just realised that, in chapter one, I introduced Annie's full name as Annie Wilkes. I've only just now realised that I've given her the same name as the psycho from the Stephen King novel/Rob Reiner film "Misery". Kinda taints it, doesn't it? Haha : p

…………………………………..

_**June 21**__**st**__**, 1944- Nancy, France**_

Roseanna fidgeted in her chair at the side of the stage at the US army quarters in liberated Nancy, France. She put a hand up to the large feathers of her costume that protruded from a band round her head and weighted her down. Every time she cocked her head she felt like she was going to fall off of her chair. Gracefully as she could, given the weight, she crossed her legs, composing herself as she stared side-on at the stage from the wings, side-on at her father and Lola duetting together. They were singing a song that William had written especially for them to sing together for Lola's first set of shows as a solo singer, several years previously. She broke her eyes from the sight, looking over to smile at Annie, who had appeared from backstage, pulling up a chair beside her.

Annie leant back in her chair, yawning exhaustedly. "I need a vacation."

"You're in Europe," Roseanna remarked, amused.

"Am I?" Annie asked, dryly. "I feel like I've been in the same damn backstage complex for the last month."

"Well, it's over soon, and from what I read in my guide book we'll soon be moving onto greener pastures, _much_ greener pastures," She reasoned, shaking her head at her friend as she tutted. "Besides, you can't complain. I don't see _you_ wearing this two ton weight of metal and feather on your head. Where the hell _did_ these come from?"

Annie rolled her eyes. "Lola picked them up in a little _performance_ boutique back in Paris. Said she's trying to bring the feather in style again."

"Well she'll die trying…or I will, at least," She sighed, looking sympathetically at the exhausted Annie. "Maybe you should take a night off, relax."

"You kidding me?" Annie snorted. "Like Lola can do her make-up by herself."

"You're right," She smirked, patting Annie's shoulder. "Well I'd offer to take over for you for a night but I doubt she'd let me come anywhere near her with a stick of lipstick."

"And she'd be right," Annie laughed, looking at her devilishly. As the laughter subsided, she looked over at Roseanna, stating. "Not long to go now."

"Nope," She said, taking a deep breath.

"Strasbourg, Stuttgart, Munich and then…yep," Annie rhymed off.

"Doesn't seem long at all when you say it like that," Roseanna replied, feeling goose pimples rising on her skin despite the heat being cast off from the stage lamps.

Annie pursed her lips, hesitating a moment before asking. "Sure you still want to do this?"

………………………….

_**June 25**__**th**_, _**1945- Zell Am See, Austria**_

Lewis Nixon watched from behind a tree, a package under his arm, as Dick stood, clad in swimwear, staring out into the vast expanse of water that was the Zeller Sea, his hands on his sides, contented. They'd arrived just a few days previously. Walking over, Nix had to fight the temptation to give his buddy a gentle shove into the warm water below, but didn't. He was a Major, _for Christ sake_. A smirk on his face, he walked over, getting Dick's attention.

"Heard reports about a red-headed Eskimo, thought I'd check it out," he joked, walking up behind him.

"Come to join me for a morning swim?" Dick said sarcastically, never breaking his gaze from the water.

Nix just laughed, thrusting the packet out in the arm before taking a seat on the stone base around the water. "Here. From Szalinsky."

"Great," Dick's eyes lit up, sitting down next to Nix, explaining. "Ran into the Regimental Photographer. He said he had all these photographs of the 506th going all the way back to Taccoa. I traded him for a couple of lugers."

"Bargain," Nix exhaled, squinting at the photos as Dick showed them to him, taking a moment to reminisce fondly. He looked at the photo Dick had handed him, smiling as he saw the two of them staring back at him, kitted out smartly in their uniforms. _That was the past_, he thought to himself. Their presence here, in Austria, made him think more and more about the future. He breathed, looking out at the trees in front of him. "What do you think you'll do after this?"

Dick shrugged, thumbing through the photographs, utterly engrossed. "Maybe get some breakfast."

Nix shook his head, indicating with his hand. "No, _after_ after."

Dick, hearing this, broke his attention away from the photos, setting them down and leaning back on his palms. "Funny you should mention that…I had a meeting with Colonel Sink. Discussed the possibility of staying in the army, as a career.

Nix raised his eyebrows. "What'd you say?"

"Said I'd think about it."

Nix looked away. "What do you think about New Jersey?"

"New Jersey?" Dick echoed.

"There's a company in Nixon, New Jersey. It's called _Nixon Nitration Works_. Oddly enough I know the owners…and their probably gonna expect me to make something of myself."

Dick looked at him, expectantly.

"Thought I might drag you along with me," He finished.

Dick stared at him, almost amused yet earnestly at the same time. "Are you offering me a job?"

He shrugged, suppressing a smile. "_Welll_…we'll see how you do in your interview, but…with your qualifications we can probably scrape something up to measure with your current salary level."

"Yeah," Dick breathed, a little taken aback. "I'll think about it."

"You do that," Lew said, standing up and stretching. "You'd like New Jersey."

"I'm sure I would," Dick smiled, scratching his chin, pondering.

"And you know…," he teased. "It's not that far from New York."

"I'm aware of the geography of the United States," Dick replied, dryly.

"Doesn't hurt to remind you," Lew said, holding his hands up in defence, beginning the walk back to the hotel. He stopped, turning on his foot. "Say, I don't suppose you heard…"

"Heard what?" Dick frowned.

"It's been decided that the boys have got too much free time here and not enough to do to fill it," Nix said, a smile playing about his lips. "And with that in mind, a USO troupe has been given the green light to spend a few nights in the hotel, putting on some shows."

"Oh?" Dick said, trying to appear nonchalant as his skin pricked at the mention of _USO_.

"Yeah, it's pretty big news actually," Nix said, pointedly. "Big stars on this one."

"That so?"

"The Caines, to be precise," He beamed. "All of em, dad and the girls."

"_Right_," Dick nodded, his heart beginning to beat louder in his chest. "And they're coming…here."

"In about a week," Nix nodded, walking away, tossing a casual glance and a playful smile to Dick over his shoulder. "And you thought those letters had just dried up."

……………………………

_**July 1**__**st**__**, 1944- En route into Austria**_

"Hey," Annie hissed, slapping Roseanna on the arm to get her attention. "Hey!"

"What?" Roseanna asked, looking up from her book. She looked over at Annie, who sat by the door, peeking round the sides of the canopy-covered jeep they were travelling in.

"We've crossed the border," Annie said, whistling, impressed. "We've crossed the border into Austria. And geez, you gotta take a look at this!"

Roseanna scooted to the edge of the jeep, taking a look for herself. She couldn't stop herself from gasping at the sight of the rolling mountains surrounding them on all sides. "Incredible. Dad, look at this!"

"Those would be the Alps, sweetheart," William Caine said, highly amused, as he peered over the top of his newspaper.

Lola joined them at the opening of the canvas, taking a look for herself. Annie and Roseanna stared at her expectantly, but she simply sighed in disgust and leaned back in her seat. "I don't like it."

Annie snorted, staring disbelievingly at Lola, sitting cross-armed in her seat, pouting. "Come on now, Lola. Even _you_ have to admit that that's one hell of a sight, forgive my language, William."

Lola sighed. "Pretty…perhaps, but it's hardly Paris."

"We've already been to Paris," Roseanna said, rolling her eyes.

"Thanks to you," Lola sniped. "We should be having our last big hurrah _there_…not here."

Roseanna and Annie rolled their eyes at each other, looking over at William. William sighed, knowing that, once again, it was up to him to smooth things over. He scooted closer to Lola, putting an arm around her shoulders. "Come on, Lola Bear. Austria is a beautiful place."

Lola snorted.

William nodded firmly. "No, no it is. Honestly. The sun, the sea…just think of the suntan you'll get!"

Roseanna and Annie smiled at each other, shaking their heads. He always knew what to say to win Lola over. Well, not that she was entirely won over, but it was the best that they could hope for. Roseanna sat back in her chair, watching the beautiful scenery roll by and reveal itself one bit at a time. A strange mix of emotions came over her as she watched. She felt contented, tranquil and, mostly…relieved. She was finally here.

………………………………..

_**July 2**__**nd**__**, 1945- Zell Am See**_

Late that evening, as the Caine's jeep pulled up to the giant hotel the 506th were stationed in, the heavens had opened. Contrary to the beautiful weather of the day's drive, rain permeated through everything that it could. Roseanna dismounted first, the first one to make contact with the poor Private, soaked through, who'd been chosen to await their arrival until the early hours of the morning.

He nodded politely at her, his eyes glazing over, starstruck. "Evening, ma'am."

"Good evening, Private," She nodded back, smiling. "Sorry to keep you from your bed on such a wet night. It's good of you to wait up for us."

"No, ma'am," He shook his head, looking over her shoulder to try and get a look at the other members of the truck. He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I didn't mind at all, on the contrary."

"I'm not coming out without an umbrella!" Lola's voice boomed out from inside the canopied jeep, making Roseanna and the Private jump, and probably waking up half of the hotel.

Roseanna sighed, casting an appealing look to the Private. "You don't happen to have an umbrella in the vicinity, do you?"

He arched his brow, rain water dripping off of his helmet. "Are you kiddin' me?"

"No," She sighed. "Unfortunately not. My stepsister, Lola, seemingly won't get out without one though, as I'm sure you didn't fail to hear."

"Oh," He perked up, standing up straight. "That was Lola, your sister, that was calling for an umbrella?"

"My _step_sister," She corrected him. "And yes."

"Well now, doesn't that change things," He said, his eyes glimmering as he quickly took off his jacket. "Do you suppose she'd allow me to escort her in using my jacket as a cover."

"Are you sure you want to?" Roseanna asked, disbelievingly. "I'd be more than happy to tell her where to get off, believe me."

He shook his head. "Are you kidding me? This is my time to shine…for Lola Caine, no less. I'll go ask her if she'll accept."

Lola's face appeared from behind the canopy flap, a charming, toothy smile erupting over her face as she looked at the Private. "Well of course I would. How could a girl refuse such a gallant offer?"

Roseanna watched as Lola scurried into the building, huddling close to the young Private who proudly held his soaked jacket high over her head. Annie and William followed close behind, rain water eating them up, dragging the suitcases inside.

"Don't worry about it, Lola," Annie muttered dryly as she walked past. "We've got the suitcases."

Roseanna, hair matted to her head, trudged back to the jeep to retrieve her own suitcase. After she'd struggled it out of the jeep, she turned to walk into the hotel, stopping at the sound of a whistling coming above her head. Shielding her eyes from the rain with a hand, she looked up. Lewis Nixon, hands placed firmly on the railings, stared down at her from his balcony around two stories up.

"What's with all the noise?" He hissed down, smiling knowingly at her.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Captain Nixon," She shook her head, amused. "Did we wake you with our untimely arrival?"

"Damn right you did," He joked, stepping back slightly to get a better look at her. "Wow…you look…."

Roseanna put a hand to her hair, matted and curly with the rain. She waved a hand, dismissively. "Yes, well…untimely circumstances and suchlike…."

"Tell me about it," Nix replied, holding out a hand and catching rainwater in it. "It's not normally like this, by the way."

"I should hope not," She challenged jokingly, putting a hand on her hips. "You promised that Austria was a haven. A sunshine paradise?"

He screwed up his face, acting dumb to what she was saying. "Now when did I say something like that?"

"In your letters, of course," She said, rolling her eyes. "Good to see you got our letters alright, by the way."

"Ssssh," He whispered down as loud as possible, putting a finger to his lips. "Don't publicly implicate me in this. But yes, I got them…your friend Annie has lovely penmanship, by the way."

"Well, you can tell her that yourself, since she's right in there," Roseanna indicated with her finger.

"Yeah, maybe I'll do that," He nodded, looking at his watch. "In the morning, when things are a little…drier."

"And they'd better be drier," She said jokingly, wagging a finger at him.

"I can't promise anything, but hey…you're here now. What are you gonna do about it?" He shot back, flashing her a smile as he waved at her. "I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight, Roseanna."

………………………

_**July 2**__**nd**__**, 1945- Zell Am See, Austria**_

The next morning, Roseanna and Annie began to unpack the boxes of costumes. Roseanna couldn't believe how different the place looked in the morning, sun glinting off of the vast expanse of water below them and streaming into the room. The entire place, surrounded by mountains of various peak sizes, felt secluded, private…tranquil. The Caines had been placed into a small cluster of rooms with a perfect sea view. It was extremely spacious for the four of them, which she felt was a direct result of her father's presence there. She felt slightly guilty for the poor soldiers who had been displaced from the room, but didn't dwell on it to much because of the beautiful, calming effect of the surroundings. Amongst the inner peace the place was giving her, there was still an underlying sense of nervousness as the thought of seeing Dick. Knowing that he was here…somewhere in the building…made her skin prickle.

"I'm going to have to go in a minute and look at the hall for tonight," Annie said, hanging dresses onto coat hangers. "Can you finish this alone?"

"Of course I can," Roseanna replied, watching Lola march towards the balcony, clad in a yellow summer dress, hair swept up glamorously with a magazine poking out from her underarm. "You could always give us a hand, Lola…."

Lola shook her head, never breaking her stride. "You two are managing fine. I'm going to sunbathe. Might as well try and get a suntan for tonight if I'm forced to be stuck in this Godforsaken Hell hole."

"Convivial," Roseanna muttered under her breath, turning her attention back to the boxes.

A loud knock rapped on the door three times.

"Come in!"

"Good morning," Nix's said, coming in from behind the door, nodding politely at both girls. "Sleep alright?"

"The best sleep ever," Roseanna nodded, smiling, rolling her eyes as she motioned at Annie. "Until this one woke me up at dawn to look at the view."

Annie blushed, looking at the floor. "It's…it's just so beautiful here."

Nix smiled at her, looking at her for the first time. "It certainly is that. You must be Annie, I presume?"

"That's me?" Annie said, shyly shaking his hand. "Captain Nixon?"

"Nice to finally put a name to the handwriting," He said charmingly, flashing her a smile.

Roseanna smiled, damned if she hadn't seen a small glimmer of interest light up in Annie's eyes. She piped up. "You know, Annie, Lewis was just saying last night that you had lovely…penmanship."

"Thank you for that, Roseanna," He said dryly, glaring at her from the corner of his eye. He turned back to Annie with a smile. "But, yes, I appreciate a lady who can write well."

Annie didn't reply, just blushed and quickly changed the topic. "So, erm…is there anything that we can do for you, Captain?"

Ni clapped his hands together. "I just came up to say hello, and introduce myself. Everything okay in the room?"

"It's an amazing room," Roseanna looked around, still taken aback. "I just feel bad that some soldiers had to move out for us to be here."

"Oh, don't you worry about that," Nix said, waving a hand dismissively. "They don't mind sleeping in the rain for a few days."

"They…what?!" That girls asked in unison, eyes wide in shock.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," Nix said, not expecting them to believe him so easily. "They've bunked down in some other considerably smaller rooms."

"Funny," Roseanna smiled, rolling her eyes, reaching down and hanging another dress on a hanger.

"Oh, another thing," Nix said, suddenly remembering. "We've noticed that you left some boxes in your jeep last night."

"We did?" Annie asked, mentally surveying the ones already on the ground. "Must be the hats."

"You ladies sure do travel light," Nix joked. "I'll have someone bring them up to you."

Roseanna shook her head, making for the door. "No it's fine, I'll go and get them."

"Want me to come?" Annie asked, calling after her.

"I thought you had to go and look at the hall for tonight?"

"Oh, that's true I do?" She said.

Roseanna smiled, seizing upon the opportunity. "Say, Lewis…you couldn't happen to show Annie where the hall is, could you? This hotel is so big, we haven't the foggiest where we're going."

"Of course I can, if Ms Wilkes doesn't mind me accompanying her, that is?" Lew said, motioning _after you_ to Annie. "By the way, Roseanna…you won't find him."

"Excuse me?" Roseanna asked, blushing at his directness.

He coughed. "I just mean that, if you were looking for a certain person…then he happens to be in a meeting with Colonel Sink."  
……………………………….

Roseanna's thoughts ticked away as she wrestled with the boxes in the jeep. Had it been so obvious that the reason she'd volunteered to do it herself was so that on the off-chance she might bump into Dick. Moreover, superficially she couldn't help but think that he'd have tried to make himself available to welcome her on her arrival. No such luck, apparently.

"Damn boxes," She said, managing to wrestle one out and onto the ground, and straight onto her foot. "Damn it!"

"Need a hand?" An all-too-familiar voice rung out from behind her.

"Morning, George," She said, glancing over towards a fresh-faced George Luz, looking a damn sight better than the last time she'd seen him. She beamed at him. "It's good to see you."

"Didn't get lost again, did you?" He joked, venturing over to her and offering her a friendly shoulder pat.

"Very funny," She shook her head, rolling her eyes. "And, yes, you can help."

"What do we have here, then?" He asked, bending down and picking up one of the boxes. "Christ, this thing is heavy. Whaddya got in here, rocks?"

"Hats," She corrected him, picking up the lighter of the two boxes.

"What the hell kind of hats weigh this much?" He asked, staggering slightly under the weight as they made their way to the grand entrance of the hotel. "Where are you?"

She grimaced, looking apologetically at him. "Second from the top?"

"Fantastic," He said dryly, following behind her. "I better get front-row seats for this."

She led him up the many flights of stairs and into their quarters, instructing him where to place the boxes. Rubbing his back, he looked around, his eyes growing wide. "Hey, this is nicer than my digs. How'd you get so lucky?"

"William Caine is my father," She retorted, sticking her tongue out at him.

He began to help her unpack the boxes, his eyes marvelling at some of the strange ones. "So, really. Coming back to Europe. Good idea?"

"Don't start," She rolled her eyes. "You should be happy to see me again."

"Of course I am," He nodded sincerely. "It's just, with your track record…."

She threw one of the softer hats at him. "Sssshhhh. Anyway, you've landed on your feet given where you used to be in Bastogne. Glad to see you've made it through safe, by the way."

"Safe and sound, that's George Luz," He said, mockingly flexing his muscles. "Don't get me wrong, Jerry's tried to get me several times…but he's never quite managed it."

"Never?" She asked, eyes wide in surprise. "Not even a little chink in the leg or the arm or…."

"Nope," he shook his head firmly.

"Impressive," She whistled. "Tell that one to the ladies when you get home."

"So, have you seen the good Major, yet?" He asked nonchalantly.

"What?" She echoed, feigning ignorance.

"Just come here for the scenery, did you?" He asked, undertones of suggestion in his voice.

"I…," She opened her mouth to protest, smiling at him as she sighed. "Just unpack the hats, George."

"Yes, ma'am," He said, silently doing so for a few moments before holding up the metal, feathery contraption of a hat that Lola had purchased for the act in Paris. "Alright…now what the hell is this?"

"Careful with those," Lola's voice drifted over from the balcony where she'd returned from her sunbathing session. She put a hand on her hip and drifted over towards them, standing directly in front of George. "They were very expensive. Do you like them?"

George couldn't speak, his eyes wide in shock as he stood opposite Lola Caine. _The_ Lola Caine. Roseanna could see in his eyes that it was his wildest dreams come true. "I…they're beautiful, ma'am, I mean Miss, I mean…."

Lola looked down bashfully, _tittering_. "It's lovely to meet you. My name's Lola Caine. You are…?"

"Luz," He squeaked. "George Luz. I'm a big fan, Miss Caine."

"Call me Lola," She purred. "And thank you so much. It's always lovely to meet a fan. Are you coming to the show tonight?"

"Front row centre," He said proudly, hit eyes glittering like diamonds.

"Well," Lola clapped her hands together, a smile on her face. "I am just tickled to hear you say that."

George looked down, bashfully.

"Say, George," Lola said, putting a hand on his shoulder. Roseanna was sure he'd never wash that uniform again. "You couldn't do a teeny, tiny little favour…could you?"

"Anything, Miss Caine, George said, his eyes full of admiration.

"You couldn't find me two slices of cucumber from somewhere to put over my eyes could you?" She purred, looking pleadingly into his eyes. "We had the most terrible sleep last night because of all of that rain and I'd like to look my best tonight for all of the troops, including yourself, of course."

George immediately sprang to attention, making for the door. "I'll see what I can do! George Luz, at your service."

Roseanna stared disbelievingly at the door after he'd left. She sighed, looking over at Lola. "Where do you expect him to find cucumber?"

"I don't care," Lola shrugged, nonplussed. "So long as he finds it. I'm going to go take a bath."

"You do that," Roseanna muttered under her breath.

"Oh and Roseanna," Lola said, turning back round to face her stepsister. "When that soldier gets back here…don't ever let him put his grubby little hands on my Parisian hats again. Do you understand? They're worth more than he is."

………………………………


	19. Chapter 19 Performance Night

**Falling Star Chapter 19**

……………………………………

……………………………………..

_**July 2**__**nd**__**, 1945- Zell Am See, Austria**_

Lola Caine, trussed up in her _signature colour_, stood next to William Caine, hands on her hips as she surveyed the crowd. To her pleasure, every single eye in the place seemed to be fixed on her, taking her in and, she imagined, falling in love with her. As she belted out the last note of their duet, she held her hands up in the air, ready to receive the love and rapturous applause from the audience. She grinned, satisfied, when it did indeed happen.

"Well, I think they enjoyed that, Lola," William Caine grinned, in full performance mode. "What do you think? Think they enjoyed that?"

"You know what, Dad, I think they _did_!" Lola said, clapping her hands together. "What do you boys say? Did you like that?"

A deafening applause filled the room.

"Well if you liked that," William Caine said, working the crowd with his signature charm. "…then I just know you're all going to _love_ what he have in store for you next. I believe some of you know her…."

Lola cast her eyes to the side of the stage, where Roseanna waited in the wings, moving up and down on her tiptoes anxiously. It meant a lot for her, it was clear to see, to be here again. She looked back at the crowd, a small group in front of whom had already begun to cheer loudly at Roseanna's name. _Stew a bit longer, Roseanna,_ she thought to herself. Lola blinked, not ready for her moment in the spotlight with her stepfather to be over just yet to be upstaged by her stepsister. She put a hand up to silence William. "I know they're _all_ excited for that, Dad. But, before that, if you'll indulge me, I wondered if we might play them an impromptu duet rendition of that song of yours, _A Father's Love_."

William blinked, looking at her in surprise. An unscripted moment. Oh well, he knew that on stage one simply had to go with the flow, thus he signalled over to the small band, seated just behind them on stage, showing that they should go ahead and play that music. "That sounds like a good idea, Lola."

As the music started up, Roseanna shook her head from the wings of the small, makeshift stage, watching as the two of them launched into the song. She sighed, prompting an annoyed sigh from Annie, who was trying to touch up her lipstick.

"You've made me smudge," Annie said, annoyed.

"Well he wrote that song for me, when I was a baby," Roseanna shook her head again, screwing up her lips, prompting a wail of despair from Annie. "She's so much more calculating than anyone could ever possibly imagine."

"Not exactly front page, breaking news, Roseanna," Annie pointed out, her fingers nimbly correcting the smudged lipstick. "Stop shaking, I know you're nervous, but still…you're playing havoc with your make-up."

"You've applied that stuff at least seven times, how much do you want to put on me?" She frowned, taking a small step back.

"Well if you'd stop nervously licking it off of your lips I wouldn't have to keep re-applying it, now would I?" Annie sighed, putting a hand on either side of her shoulders and giving her a gentle shake. "Roseanna, Roseanna. Stop! Listen to me. Don't be nervous, you've sang in front of bigger audiences than this before. Get a hold of yourself, they're going to love you. Besides, these ones that you care about so much have already seen you perform back in Mourmelon, so it's nothing new."

Roseanna took a deep sigh. "You're right, you're right."

"Good girl," Annie said, jokingly in an authoritative tone. She gave Roseanna's face one last look over, checking for any imperfections in her make-up. "I think you're ready."

Eventually, Lola and William came to the end of their song. Amid the applause, Lola held out her hands, pulling William into an affectionate embrace. "Thank you for singing that song with me, Daddy!"

"You're quite welcome, Lola," William said, flashing a toothy grin to the crowd. He clapped his hands together. "Right, now, we won't keep you in suspense any longer. On stage next is someone that some of you know. Now, before I invite her on stage, I'd like to extend my personal gratitude towards those soldiers that took such good care of my little girl out there. I know she holds you in such high regard for everything that you did for her out there, so it was her personal idea that we include Zell Am See in our tour…so that she could show her gratitude by performing for you. Without further ado I give you, my daughter…Roseanna Caine!"

Roseanna put a big grin on her face, stepping onstage to join her father and Lola, giving William a kiss on the cheek. Amidst the applause, she looked down to see most of Easy in the front rows. She couldn't help herself but grin down at them. She scanned the row, taking in the familiar faces: Heffron, Martin, Perconte, Eugene, Lewis Nixon, Bull Randleman and, front and centre, as promised, George Luz. No Dick, though.

She put her hands up, smiling, to silence the clapping. "Well now, that's _quite_ a reception! It's so good to see these familiar faces again…."

She stopped for a moment as, whilst her eyes had been scanning the crowd, they'd settled upon the sight of Dick, looking smart in his uniform, leaning against the entry way. As their eyes met, he offered her a momentary, warm smile. She beamed back at him. She got perhaps a little lost in the moment as, suddenly, Annie let out a loud, warning cough from the side. Suddenly she snapped back to earth, noticing that a few audience members had craned their necks round to see what she'd been so engrossed in. Blushing slightly, she cleared her throat, unable to take the shy smile from her face. She let out a laugh, trying to appear as casual as possible as she picked up a small bag from the side that she'd strategically placed earlier. She put a hand inside it, letting it linger for effect.

"What's in the bag?" Perco shouted out from the front row.

"Well, it's interesting that you ask that, Frank," She winked at him, teasing the crowd: "When I was back in the good, old US of A, I paid a little visit to someone you might all remember. Does the name Bill Guarnere."

Cheers echoed around the room at the mention of his name.

"He'd be tickled to hear that response, I'm sure. Now, it was actually Bill, himself, that persuaded me to come back out to Europe and see you boys again. I asked him if he had any messages to pass along, and he replied that, in war, actions speak louder than words. With that in mind, he asked me to pass these along to you…," She reached into the bag, producing packets of cigarettes that she threw out randomly to the crowd, garnering many cheers of appreciation and _"Good old Gonorrhoea "s._

Once the bag was empty, she threw it to Annie in the wings, breathing into the microphone. "Alright now, let's strike up the band and get things going…."

………………………….

"Okay, Okay," Roseanna held her hands up in an attempt to quieten the crowd down. "Now, I can already see my father waiting in the wings to come back on again so I'll make this my last one until I leave you in his company for a while. Now, I'm going to do something for you tonight that I've never done before, and this is to take requests. Anyone?" She gestured out to the crowd.

"_Night in the City_," Perco shouted out.

"_Dreaming of Iowa_," A man in the back shouted.

"_Never Forget You_," Came another suggestion.

Her attention was drawn to the handsome features of Floyd Talbert, sitting in the front row, looking at her with his hand raised lightly in the air as if waiting for her to address him, pick him.

She looked at him, smiling. _Still as handsome as ever_, she thought to herself. She cleared her throat. "Alright then, Floyd. Since you're raising your hand all politely like that. What's your request?"

Floyd cleared his throats, a cheeky grin on his face as he piped up. "Oh, I don't mind what you sing. My request was actually, if you'd be so kind, Miss Caine, was actually the hope that you'd invite me up on stage for a serenade?"

Her mouth dropped open, taken aback, as wolf whistles and clapping echoed around the room.

"Well, well, well…," She said, putting a hand on her hips. "That's awfully brazen of you, Sergeant Talbert."

"Pays to brave," He replied simply, smiling cockily at her, making her laugh.

"Aw, put the poor bastard out of his misery," Liebgott perked up from beside, clapping a hand on his shoulder. Shouts of agreement followed.

She looked at the audience, surprised. "What? You all think that I should serenade Sergeant Talbert?"

Whoops and cheers.

She put on a long, drawn-out sigh, smiling at Tab. "Well, it looks like luck is in your favour tonight, Floyd. Come on up, then."

He held his arms up triumphantly to the crowd, laughing as he made his way onstage amid thunderous applause. Annie, ever-prepared to react to any spontaneous changes in the show, quickly zipped onstage, placing a chair on stage, which Floyd promptly sat down on. Internally, Roseanna frowned to herself. She felt slightly uncomfortable serenading Floyd in this manner, but, knowing show business, she knew that it was necessary to keep the crowd happy. She shrugged her shoulders, thinking she'd keep it as friendly as possible, racking her brains for the least romantic-sounding song she could think of. As Floyd made himself comfortable on the chair, looking up at her expectantly, her eyes involuntarily looked over to Dick at the door, widening when she saw that he wasn't there. When had he left? She looked down, shaking her head slightly.

Floyd cleared his throat, snapping her back to reality.

She plastered a smile on her face, signalling over to the band, pausing momentarily as she knew her actions might cause friction with Lola. _Oh well_, she shrugged. "Alright then, Sergeant. I know just the song for you…my dear stepsister's own _He's An Alright-kinda Guy_."

When she'd finished, she made a show of curtseying Floyd, laughing as she did so.

"I suppose asking for an encore…," He said, flashing her a grin.

"…would be pushing your luck too far," She shook her head, amused, patting him on the back. She looked out at the crowd, bowing her head slightly at them. "Alright, I'll leave you now to go and get a glass of water, but I'd like you all to give the biggest applause you've got for my father…William Caine!"

……………………………………

After the show had finished, Roseanna and Annie made their way into the mess hall to share an evening drink with the troops. William had been invited to Colonel Sink's office for a nightcap with him and some of the other higher-ups. Lola had rejected all offers, saying she needed to keep up with her beauty sleep.

"Went well, huh?" Annie mused as they walked in. "The crowd were really going for it. Tomorrow should be even better."

Roseanna bit her lip. "Yeah, it went…well."

"What?" Annie asked, frowning. "Why the tone?"

"It's just…," She whispered. "Dick. One minute he was there and the next minute he was just gone."

"Maybe he was just…busy," Annie said, unconvincingly, frowning.

"_Busy_," She rolled her eyes, making eye contact with Perconte, sitting with some of the other men from Easy and nodding politely at him.

"Ladies, Good Evening," Lew's voice came from behind them, causing them to turn round to face him. "Hell of a show."

"Why thank you," Roseanna smiled, not paying attention as she scanned all of the faces.

"He went back to his office," Lew said, smiling knowingly at her. "Paperwork was calling, apparently."

"I wasn't looking for anyone," She sighed, lying through her teeth. She tried to act casual, looking nonchalantly around the room. She sighed again, looking back. "Alright, fine."

"That's on the fourth floor, by the way…just in case you wanted to know," He winked at her. He turned to Annie. "Congratulations to yourself, Miss Wilkes. You organise one hell of a show."

"Thank you," Annie blushed, looking down. "It's hard work though. I'm exhausted!"

"Well," He said, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I think such hard work calls for a nightcap. Whiskey?"

"Well," Annie smiled shyly, giving him a doubtful look. "What kind of whiskey?"

"VAT 69 is what I have to offer the lady," Lew replied. "I drink nothing else but that."

"Good Scottish whiskey," Annie laughed, taking his arm as he offered it to her. "Show me the way, Captain."

As they walked off, arm in arm, Lew tossed over his shoulder: "Remember, fourth floor. Just for anyone who might want to know."

"Well, I don't," She said under her breath, catching Perconte's eye again as he motioned for her to join them. She began to walk over to their table, suddenly stopping and sighing. She motioned that she'd be right back. "Oh, who am I kidding?"

Climbing the stairs quickly to the fourth floor, Roseanna felt very silly. She knew that she should wait for him to come to her. She sighed, staring down a long corridor of nameless door. _Lew couldn't have told me the number_, she quizzed herself sadly. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye she saw a door with upper-half glass panelling. She walked towards it slowly, seeing a figure slumped down over a desk, asleep. She knew it was him, the hair gave it away. She put a hand to the glass, watching him for a moment, before forcing herself to turn away and walk back down the stairs.

………………………………

"So do I get serenaded tomorrow night?" Perconte asked, sitting opposite Roseanna when she'd joined them in the mess hall. "You know it's not fair for you to pick favourites."

"It's not a case of waiting your turn, Frank," She rolled her eyes, sipping from her cup of water.

"Yeah well, maybe Lola will serenade me tomorrow night," He said, dreamily. "That's the hope, anyway."

"Thank, Frank," She rolled her eyes. "_Thanks_."

"Get in line, huh, Frank," George said from down the table where he was playing cards with Liebgott. "At least I'm actually on her radar."

Roseanna grimaced. _Poor Luz_.

"Yeah, clear that up for us, Roseanna," Lieb called down the table. "Did Lola really ask him to find her some cucumber. We all thought he was losing his mind."

"No, no that one's true," She confirmed, rolling her eyes. "Did you find any, by the way?"

George shook his head, looking down, annoyed. "I mean, it wasn't easiest challenge but I tried my best."

"That's all you could do," She looked at him sympathetically.

"You know," Perco said, cocking his head at her. "Can't you get Lola down here to meet us?"

"Sorry, Frank," She shook her head at him, rubbing her aching shoulders, knowing that Lola wouldn't want to be seen with the _common_ man. "She erm…she really loves her beauty sleep after a performance."

"Forgive me for sayin' it, but you looked bushed," Martin said, looking politely at her.

"I am, Sergeant," She said, standing up and finishing her water. "So, with that in mind. I'll see you all in the morning."

As they bid her goodnight, she turned round…to find Tab standing behind her chair. She jumped at the sight of him, not expecting to find him standing there like that.

He held up his hands, apologetically. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare ya."

"It's okay," She said, laughing. "You just snuck up on me, that's all."

"I couldn't help overhearing that you're turning in for the night, and I was just wondering if you'd let me accompany you to your floor," He said, offering her his arm.

She drew daggers at the other men as they made little remarks and whistled. She turned back. He was so charming that she couldn't say no, but decided against taking his arm. "That would be lovely, Floyd."

When they were out of earshot and making their ascent up the first set of stairs, he turned to her, offering her an apologetic smile. "I have to apologise, by the way, for being so bold tonight during the performance. You know I'm not really like that."

She stifled a laugh.

"What?" He asked, frowning.

"You're _exactly_ like that, Floyd," She shook her head at him, laughing. "But at least you're upfront about it."

"I just meant there's more to me than that," He tried to defend himself. "I have a gentler, deeper side."

"I think I figured that out that night in the convent in Rachamps," She said, offering him a sympathetic look. "You look much better now, by the way."

"Well," He shrugged his shoulders, almost bashfully. "It's amazing how getting regular sleep, hot food and shelter will improve your mood."

"I'd suppose you were right," She nodded.

"Not to be bold again," He said as they continued to ascend the steps. "But I have to say that you really do look beautiful. Being back home clearly agrees with you."

"I've spent most of my time on my grandparents farm in Iowa helping them out," She explained. "Lots of fresh air."

He cocked an eyebrow at her. "You were on a farm?"

She rolled her eyes. "No one seems to believe me."

"No offence," He said, putting an apologetic hand on her shoulder. "But seeing you all trussed up on stage earlier, it's not hard to see why they might think that."

They stopped at the top of the stairs of the floor the Caines' room was on. "Well, this is me. I think I can make it to the door alright by myself."

"Well, alright," He laughed. "As long as you're sure."

"Thanks for walking me, Floyd," She smiled politely at his face, such a handsome face.

"The pleasure was mine," He said. "I never thought I'd see you again."

"Well, I'm just full of surprises," She joked.

"Well, it's a very nice surprise…especially now when we have so much free time on our hands," He said, suggestively. "Whilst you're here, you know, if you'd like someone to show you around…some nice sights to see. I wouldn't mind being your tour guide."

She looked at the floor, smiling. "I'll bear that in mind."

"Do that," He smiled, leaning forward and impulsively placing a small kiss on her cheek. She looked at him, taken aback. He just shrugged at her, smiling before walking away, tossing over his shoulder. "Have a nice night."

"Erm…good night." She stood rooted to the spot, still shocked. Did that actually just happen? What a flirt. Shaking it off, she made her way to the door. As she went to grab the doorknob, the door flung open and she found herself face-to-face with Lewis Nixon, who raised his eyes wide in surprise as he saw her.

"Shit, you scared me," He said, shaking his head at her.

"This is _our_ room," She challenged. "What brings you around these parts, Lewis?"

"I was just accompanying Annie back to her room, that's all," He said, rolling his eyes at her accusatory tone, a small smile playing about his lips.

She put a finger on her chin, pretending to be deep in though. "Uhh huhhh, I see….and that involved you walking her right inside."

"She said the door into her bedroom was sticking, I said I'd see if I could loosen it up a little," He said nonchalantly, walking past her and towards the stairs. "Goodnight Roseanna."

"I bet something was being loosened up alright," she muttered under her breath, hand on a hip, highly amused as she watched him go.

He turned back to face her, giving her a pointed look, his eyes glittering. "Sorry, I missed that."

"I said sleep tight, Lew," She said, giving him a charming smile.

"Please, don't try and kid an intelligence officer," He laughed. "Oh, by the way, did you find him?"

She shook her head, sighing. "I found him alright, asleep on his desk. I didn't have the heart to wake him up. I see he's still working himself to the bone."

Lew laughed. "Yeah well, that's Dick for you. Little tip for you though…"

"Yes?" She asked, all ears.

"He's an early bird, always the first one down at breakfast after an early morning swim in the lake," Lew said, winking at her.

"Thanks, Lew," She smiled. "I'll bear that in mind."

"But just remember, when I said early that's really early. I'd get to bed if I were you," He said, tapping his finger off of his nose.

"Same to you," She joked back. "Stop keeping my best friend up to all hours."

"You didn't see anything, alright?" He said, winking at her one last time before carrying on down the stairs, whistling.

She laughed, turning back to the room and letting herself in. "Oh Annniiieeeeee…."

………………………………..

_**July 3**__**rd**__**, 1945- Zell Am See**_

Roseanna yawned as she sat down in the mess hall with a cup of coffee, wincing in disgust as she sipped from it. She'd forgotten how bitter the army coffee was. She pushed it away from her. The noise of someone clearing their throat loudly in front of her alerted her attention. She looked up to see Dick, holding a cup of coffee of his own.

"Is this seat taken?" He asked, indicating to the empty chair in front of her.

She sat bolt upright in her chair, composing herself. "No please, go ahead."

He pulled out the chair, sitting down. Their eyes met, before they both looked down. "So, you're up early."

"I couldn't really sleep," She said, bending the truth slightly. "It's just so beautiful here."

"It is, that," He said, looking out of the window as the sun streamed in.

"I thought that I might take a swim after breakfast," She said, nonchalantly, wrapping her hands round her coffee cup.

"I've just come back from one," He said, his eyes lighting up. "The lake is beautiful to swim in. I could recommend a couple of good spots."

"I'd really like that," She said, her body warming. Forgetting, she took another sip of the coffee…grimacing.

He laughed, amused. "Not to your taste?"

"I forgot how bitter the army coffee was," She said, putting it down again. "To think I really liked this in Belgium."

"I think we liked anything that was hot when we were in Belgium," He scratched his chin. "Good show last night."

"Did you like it?" She smiled earnestly at him.

"Very much so,"

"So good that you left early?" She teased, running a finger round the rim of her mug.

He reddened slightly. "Well I…. I had lots of paperwork to catch up on and I…."

She held up a hand to stop him. "It's okay, Dick. I'm just joking with you."

"Haven't lost your humour then, I see," He jokingly rolled his eyes upwards.

She leaned forward, putting her arms on the table. "So were you surprised when you heard I was coming?"

"Surprised?" He echoed. "Surprised would be an understatement."

She swallowed a laugh. "I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Well it was," He sipped his coffee. "Here was me thinking you'd grown bored of my letters."  
She put a hand over her heart in mock sincerity. "Well please accept my apologies. I didn't mean to give you a complex."

"I'll survive," He said dryly, offering her a small smile.

"So, it's a surprise," She said, placing chin on her palm. "We've established that. But is it a pleasant one?"

"Do you really have to ask that?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

A little smile broke out on her face as sipped her coffee. "Apparently not."

He couldn't help but laugh again as her face contorted with the flavour of the coffee. He reached out, taking it from her grasp. "Why don't I put that over there, save you having to taste it."

"That's definitely for the best," She smiled. A silence grew between them. Several times their eyes met but darted away as quickly as they'd come together. Suddenly she remembered something, reaching into her back pocket. She pulled out a photograph, folded in half. She smoothed it out, placing it in front of him. "Take a look at that."

He peered at it, looking up and raising his eyes in mock surprise. "Well I'll be…so you _did_ milk a cow."

"Didn't I tell you?" She said, tutting. "And you didn't believe me, Major."

"Well, now I know," He nodded slowly, looking up. He looked at her playfully. "I would be careful to hold onto this photograph. Roseanna Caine milking a cow. I bet you'd get a lot of money for this photograph."

"Well," She said, reaching out and taking it from him. "I was going to say _keep it, Dick_, but now you've put doubt in my head."

"Well, we wouldn't want that to happen," He smiled, looking up at the clock on the wall. He stood up. "I'm afraid I have to go. Busy day ahead of me."

"I understand," She said, nodding politely at him. "Oh, Dick."

"Yes?"

"You mentioned something about good places to go swimming?"

"Oh, right," He said, scratching his cheek gently as he thought. "Out the front door, five minutes to your left, you'll come to a path leading into some woodland. Walk two minutes down that and you'll come to a clearing. Peaceful spot."

"I'll have to have a look at that," She smiled. "Have a good day. Oh and Dick?"

"Yes, Roseanna?" He laughed lightly, turning around for a second time to face her.

She looked at him coyly. "I was just wondering if you were planning to watch the whole show tonight?"

"I'll see what I can do,"


	20. Chapter 20 Ssshhhhhhhh

**Falling Star Chapter 20**

……………………………**.**

Hi! Okay, this chapter might seem a little short but when I wrote out my plan for the this chapter, I didn't realise that it was going to be so long so I've decided to cut it into two, if only offer you more manageable chapters because I worry if make them too long it must mean that I'm waffling on and you'll all get bored, haha! And this bit ends on a bit of a cliffhanger so that should keep you all going until I get the next part up.

Second order of business, the reviews. I want to thank you guys who reviewed chapters 17, 18 and 19, because I feel like I got a lot of good feedback from them and I really, really, really appreciate it. Reviews are love :p (unless they're negative, haha). So thank you to: THE DEADLY ANGEL; eXsTorDiNaRiLy InViSiBlE, pirate-muffins-13; brokenangel1753; ber1719; Captain Ty; WETSU; AivieEnchanted; loveonspeeddial; hansolo18; RomanticDramadyGirl; fultonlover; Ikeepmygoldfishinmybra; runaway4ever and smeeeedy. Thank you guys for taking the time out to let me know what you thought of the chapters :D

Anyway, I've definitely waffled on long enough this time, so on with the story…

………………………………………

_**July 3**__**rd**__**, 1945- Zell Am See**_

Amidst applause, William Caine took a hand of each of his daughters on stage and, together, the three of them bowed before the audience, signalling the end of the evening's performance. Putting an arm each around the shoulders of Roseanna and Lola, William said into the microphone: "Thank you, thank you. You are all _too_ kind. Tomorrow night, of course, there will be no show. Unfortunately we have to rest and rejuvenate so that we can offer you one hell of a final night performance. That said, we _are_ still with the USO, so don't think that we came empty-handed. I'm please to announce that we'll be showing a film in this very hall tomorrow evening for your entertainment, so I'm sure that you'll all enjoy that. Thank you again, and goodnight!"

Together, the three of them walked off in single file, warm from the blaring lights directed onto the stage. Blinking, Roseanna noticed that Annie wasn't waiting for them backstage like she normally was. As they continued out of the side doors into the corridor, Roseanna, walking behind Lola, noticed Luz lingering by the side of the door, waiting for them to emerge. She raised a hand to wave to him, but he hadn't even noticed her. Instead, his eyes lit up as he saw Lola walk out, her cheeks still rosy from the performance. He politely put out a hand to get her attention.

"Excuse me, Miss Caine," He said, falling into step with her, Roseanna following closely behind, intrigued. He stuck out his hand to her. "My name is George Luz and I just wanted to say that I'm a big fa-…"

He stopped in his tracks, as Lola showed him no acknowledgement as she walked on ahead of him and eventually out of sight. Roseanna stared after her, livid. She hadn't even turned to look at him once. His face fell, a crack in his normally jovial exterior. For a second, just a second, his eyes bore a crestfallen look. For a mere second his face conveyed emotion, how sad it had made him. However, he plastered a smile on his face when he looked over to find Roseanna staring back at him. She grimaced at first, then offered him a sympathetic smile.

He shrugged his shoulders, waving a hand dismissively. "She's probably just tired. She's had a busy night, I know."

Her heart going out to him, Roseanna wandered over to him, putting a hand on his back and leading him in the direction of the mess hall. She added supportively. "Yes, I'm sure she's just tired. Don't worry, George. Let's get you something to drink."

"I don't think anybody has any left," He said, looking down as they entered the rabble of the mess hall. "Just water."

"Then we'll get you some water," She smiled, throwing him a smile. "…with ice."

He shook his head, stating matter-of-factly. " No ice."

"You're killing me here, Luz," She shook her head back at him helplessly. As they walked further into the room, she was surprised to see that her father had wandered in ahead of her and was milling around, saying hello to some of the soldiers. Squinting, she politely excused herself from George's company, walking over to him. "Dad?"

He spun round to look at her. "Oh hello, Sweetheart."

She surveyed him, amused. "What are you doing in here? I thought you'd be having a nightcap with the Colonel again tonight."

He let out a chuckle, shaking his head. "No, no, Sweetheart. It's only polite to come and meet some of these fine, young men giving their time and lives so generously for our country."

_Most certainly a prepared speech_, she thought to herself, laughing fondly inside. "I'm glad that I caught you here actually, dad. There's something that I've been wanting to talk to…."

"Excuse me," Tab said, appearing from behind them. He flashed a smile at William Caine, and then one at Roseanna. "I'm sorry to interrupt, I just _had_ to come over and introduce myself. Roseanna, this is your father? Of course, I recognised him."

William cast an eye over this young man who seemed to be acquainted with his daughter. He held out a hand. "William Caine, indeed. Your name, son?"

"Sergeant Talbert," Tab replied, graciously shaking his hand. "Floyd Talbert. It's a real, _real_ honour to meet you finally, Sir."

"Why, thank you," William nodded politely at him, indicating to Roseanna. "And how do you two know each other? From Belgium, I presume…?"

Roseanna nodded, but Tab spoke up for her eagerly. "Yes, Sir. Belgium was where we were privileged to make the acquaintance of your _wonderful_ daughter, here."

Roseanna raised her eyes, thinking that she could practically _smell_ the flattery coming off of Floyd. William, on the other hand, had always been more receptive than most to flattery, probably because he received it wherever he went. He put a hand to his chest, smiling. "What a kind thing to say, young man."

"Well I mean it, Sir," He said, looking earnestly at the aging singer, then at Roseanna. "She's a real asset to you. She always spoke so highly of you as well."

"Did she now?" William flashed Roseanna a proud smile. She nodded on cue, smiling back at him, finding the whole situation on the awkward side.

Tab nodded, a wide, toothy grin on his face. "Yes she did indeed, Sir. Hearing you sing on stage tonight, I can see where she inherited her talent from but, then, I was always a fan of yours anyway."

"Well, well, well…how lovely of you to say so," William replied, completely drowning in the flattery, and happy to do so! He liked this young man. He reached into the inside pocket of his suit jacket, pulling out two cigars. "Say, now, I happen to have some fine cigars here in my pocket, given to me by a very good friend of mine and studio executive in Los Angeles. Care to join me for a smoke on the terrace?"

"Well, I'd be honoured, Sir," Floyd said, following behind the elder Caine, tossing a wink to Roseanna over his shoulder. "I'm not normally a smoke but I'm always happy to make an exception for a good cigar…."

Roseanna watched the two charm merchants leave together, shaking her head. What was he doing? A charm offensive. _Pssssssst_, she was distracted by a noise seeking her attention. She turned around to see Annie signalling her over to where she was sitting on some proper seating in the corner of the room with Lew and Dick. Turning on her heel, she walked over to them, casting a glance back over to the door as Tab and her father walked out into the night air.

"Where are they going?" Annie asked, intrigued, rising up in her chair to get a better look at them.

She scratched her head, casting a confused look at Annie, her eyes then fleetingly meeting Dick's, but quickly averting. "My father invited him out onto the terrace for a _cigar_."

"Strange," Annie nodded, shrugging. "Maybe he wants to…."

"Hey, great performance," Lew interrupted, seemingly trying to change the subject. "You really blew the top off of last nights'."

"Thanks, Lew," She said, her eyes drifting over to Dicks, addressing him. "Did _you_ like it?"

"Very much so," Dick smiled, catching her eyes for a moment.

Feeling her heart begin to thump in that way she hated having no control over, she remarked. "Did you manage to see the whole thing tonight?"

He held up his hands. "From start to finish. I promise."

"You sure?" She teased, indicating to Lew and Annie. "Bearing in mind I _do_ have witnesses."

"I'll vouch for him," Nix stepped in, patting Dick's back.

Dick suddenly stood up, motioning to his vacated chair. "Sorry, how rude of me. Please, take my seat."

"No, don't worry," Annie suddenly piped up, standing up and motioning for Lewis to do the same. We're just leaving so you can sit here."

"We're leaving?" Lew raised his eyebrows, grinningly cockily as he gave Annie a surprised look.

"_Welllll_," She trailed off, desperately trying to think of an excuse to leave the two, nervous people in front of her alone together. She flashed Lew a smile. "Well, I was just thinking that since it's such a nice night, that you might want to show me around the grounds a little. I'm sure there's plenty to see…."

"And I'd be _happy_ to show you," Lew said, standing up next to her, offering her his arm. He motioned to Dick and Roseanna. "Well, if you two will excuse us…."

"You're leaving?" Roseanna echoed.

Lew nodded. "Seems that's about the shape of things. Have a nice night, you two."

"Yes, have a _lovely_ night," Annie winked playfully and discreetly at Roseanna as they left.

Dick and Roseanna watched them go, not saying a word. Finally they were out of sight, and they had to face the inevitable.

"Those two seem to be getting along quite well," She commented, sitting down in Annie's vacated chair.

Dick chuckled lightly, pressing the palms of his hands together. "That's Lew for you."

"_That's Lew for you_?" She echoed, her eyes twinkling.

"Nothing," He said, waving his hands. "He just works quickly, is all. He's never had a problem in that department…."

"Oh is that right?" Roseanna replied, feigning shock, joking. "Perhaps I should've warned Annie to watch out."

"No, no," He said, quickly correcting himself. "I didn't mean it in that way. I just meant he's confident."

"Oh, confident,"

"It's nice to see him with a sparkle in his eye, actually," he continued. "He's had a rough time of it recently."

"Really, in what way?" Roseanna quizzed.

"He just…well, it's not really my place to say," Dick looked at her apologetically, not willing to give up his friend's secrets. "Suffice it to say things weren't going well for him, but he's really gotten himself together in these last few weeks, and I think you all being here has really helped."

"So in other words," she teased. "Perhaps it's a good thing that I dragged my family all of the way out here."

He held up his hands, as if defeated. "Well there you go, you finally got it out of me."

She smiled, her expression softening. "Honestly though, whatever problems he was having, I'm glad he's in better spirits. If it helps, he's making Annie blush more often than I've ever seen her blush since I've known her…and that's a long time."

He smiled at her, neither saying a word, their eyes simply lingering until hers finally drifted down to the floor, where an abandoned, half-full, bottle of VAT 69 lay. She indicated at it. "Lewis'?"

Dick peered down at what she was looking at, letting out a sigh and nodding. "More than likely, yes."

"Interested in a nightcap?" She asked, smiling nervously at him as she reached for the bottle.

He shook his head. "Not for me, thanks."

"Oh, okay," She said, a little dejected, putting it back down again.

"I…I'm just in the mood for water," He explained, indicating to some jugs of drinking water that had been placed on a nearby table. "Can I get you one whilst I'm there?"

"Yes please," She nodded, watching him walk away, sinking into her chair as he walked off, sighing.

"The Major don't drink," Luz whispered in her ear, appearing from behind her as if from nowhere, making her jump in her seat.

"Luz!" She scolded, a hand on her chest. "You scared me! Were you listening? Where were you?"

"Within earshot," He said, grinning mischievously at her.

She ignored that, leaning closer to him, intrigued. "He doesn't drink at all?"

"Only once that we know of," Luz explained. "And not another time since…."

"Interesting," She said, stroking her chin gently as she watched Dick in the distance rummaging for two cups, one for each of them. She looked back at George, noticing him looking lingeringly at the bottle of VAT 69 on the floor. She rolled her eyes. "So that's why you came over, huh?"

"Well," He shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "I just thought that, since you won't be drinking it tonight…"

She shook her head, preparing to tell him, in the politest way, where to get off, when she stopped, remembering what had happened with Lola earlier. Reaching down, she picked it up and discreetly handed it to him. "Take it."

"You're a saint," He said, tucking it into the fold of his jacket, standing up. "…and if Captain Nixon asks?"

"I took it to my room to drink with Annie later," She said, making it up on the spot.

"I owe you one," He said, giving her a thumbs off before sidling off back to his table.

She laughed as she watched him sit back down, watching Liebgott evidently mouth "Did you get it?" from nearby.

"What's so funny?" Dick as, rejoining her and setting down a cup of water in front of her.

"Nothing," She shook her head, turning her attention back to him. "So, you _really_ like the show then?"

"_Again_, yes," He said, shaking his head at her. "You ask that a lot. Are you required to bring some sort of feedback to the USO on your return."

"Hardly," She said, having to suppress snorting with laughter. "It's just nice to hear, sometimes."

"Alright then," He said, making a show of stretching in his chair. "Ask away."

"Favourite song?" She asked, playing innocent and exaggeratedly fluttering her eyelashes at him.

He laughed at her, entirely overcome by her for a moment. He told her frankly. "I liked _Dreaming of Iowa_."

"Oh, you liked that one?" She echoed, referencing one of the few solo songs she's produced whilst in the duo with Lola.

"I did," He nodded. "It was always my favourite but moreso now I suppose because of the letters you wrote me whilst you were actually there."

"I wrote it whilst I was there, when I was around 15, if I recall," She told him, nostalgically.

"I figured as much,"

"But wait," she paused. "How can you still remember that? It was so long ago."

"You never forget a favourite song," He shrugged his shoulder nonchalantly. "It always stuck out for me because…"

"Because…?" She prompted him as he trailed off.

"Well, I remember seeing screenings of you and Lola singing when I was younger," He began. "Forgive me if I'm wrong but you didn't look overly enthused or happy in any of them, but when I saw you sing that one…you actually managed to crack a smile."

"I didn't realise I never smiled," She blushed.

"Sorry to break it to you," he replied, sheepishly. "It wasn't _all _of the time, but I just noticed particularly with that song that you seemed uplifted, even the way that you sang it. You really opened your heart with that one, I suppose, and let average Joe get a glimpse of what was going on in your head, your thoughts. Plus singing about Iowa…it seemed then that you weren't a typical starlet."

"Not a typical starlet?" She repeated, breathless.

"Not a Lola, anyway," He joked, trying to lighten the mood, sensing that he'd just said a little too much, revealed a few too many of his inner thoughts.

Roseanna couldn't speak, couldn't believe she'd heard him say those things. She liked the thought of Dick reading into her songs, trying to understand who she was when they hadn't even met. She felt the butterflies flurry into her stomach again as they made fleeting eye contact, her skin electric. So lost she was, that she barely noticed when they were interrupted by William Caine, Floyd closely following by her side. She didn't noticed until she followed Dick's gaze towards them, instantly standing up, forcing her back to reality. "Dad! Sorry, I didn't see you there."

Dick extended a hand towards her father. "Major Winters, Sir. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Major," William nodded politely at him, shaking his hand. "William Caine."

"Enjoy your cigar?" Roseanna asked nonchalantly, casting a glance over to Floyd, squinting. He looked a little green in the face. He'd never smoked a cigar in his life, the poor thing.

"Mmm, nothing beats a cigar on a warm, summer's night," William said, sighing appreciatively as he motioned to Floyd. "Mind if we join you a spell?"

"Not at all, Sir," Dick said, making room for them.

"I'm sorry but I actually can't stay," Floyd said, shaking his head apologetically. "I have to report for duty this evening."

"Pity," William said, shaking his hand heartily. "Have a good night, Son."

"And you, Sir," Floyd replied, turning head to nod politely at Dick, then offering a mischievous smile to Lola. "Major. Miss Caine."

Dick nodded back to him. "Sergeant Talbert."

William sat himself down next to the pair of them, sinking deep into the comfort of the chair. He watched Floyd leaving, looking at Dick and Roseanna as he indicated to him. "You know, I like that young man."

"Do you, dad?"

William nodded firmly. "I do, I do. He's charming, genuine and headstrong. I see a lot of myself in him, actually…just a small-town man who knows what he wants."

"Philadelphia is hardly small-town, dad," She joked nervously, trying to change the subject.

William waved a hand dismissively. "You know what I mean. You know, Sweetheart, he spoke very highly of you."

"He did?" She fidgeted awkwardly in her chair, casting an embarrassed look over at Dick. He merely smiled politely back at her, somewhat tight-lipped.

William continued, showing no signs of stopping. "Yes, he talked about the courage and character you showed in Belgium. He said that he really admired that in a lady. He spoke about you a lot, actually. If I didn't know any better I'd say he had a bit of thing for you…."

"Dad, please," She said, her face flushing crimson, unable to look Dick in the eye as she wished with every fibre of her being that her father would shut up. "You couldn't possibly know that."

William Caine snorted with laughter. "Take it from me, Sweetheart. As a man who has written several dozens of love songs…I think I know a thing or two about the human emotion of one human liking another human romantically. Not that I disapprove of that young man courting you, if that's what you wanted…after this world conflict is over, of course."

"Dad…," She said, trying to sound as warning as possible.

It didn't work, seemingly, as William turned his attention to Dick. "What do you think, Major?"

Dick, trying to find his voice, piped up scratchily. "What do I think of what, Sir?"

"That young man," William gave him a playful smile. "Is he good enough for my Roseanna?"

Roseanna looked down, mortified. Dick merely paused for a moment, shifting uncomfortably in his chair as he tried to stop himself from looking at her, merely saying: "He's an exemplary soldier, Sir."

"That's what I like to hear," William clapped his hands together, casting an amused glance at Roseanna. "Look at her face. I can tell she doesn't like me playing matchmaker but, honestly, what's a father to do?"

Dick stood up. She could see in his face that the situation had become too much for him.

"I'm afraid I have to take my leave, Mr Caine," He said, shaking William's hand as he stood up to offer it to him. "I have a lot of paperwork on my desk that needs attending."

"Then we won't keep you," William said, graciously.

Dick nodded politely in her direction before leaving, avoiding her eyes. "Goodnight, Roseanna."

When he was gone, she sank back into her seat with an enormous sigh, putting her hands over her face. "Thanks, Dad."

He looked at her, confused. "What did I say?"

…………………………..


	21. Chapter 21 Plans, Ideas and Revelations

**Falling Star Chapter 21**

………………………………………

_**July 4**__**th**__**, 1945- Zell Am See**_

It was approaching 10 a.m. as Roseanna sat on a chair with her feet up on the balcony, listening to the birds tweeting melodically, a newspaper covering her face. Taking in some sun is all well and good, but a sunburned face is rarely a good look when one have to be on stage that evening. That was the first rule of show business that her father had ever taught her: protect the face. Suddenly, the gentle tune of the morning birds was interrupted by the sound of Annie loudly entering the room, humming loudly to herself as she sauntered across the room to join Roseanna on the balcony.

"Did you lose your reading glasses or something?" Annie laughed, picking the newspaper off of Roseanna's face, causing her to sit bolt upright, the light roughly invading her corneas.

"Thanks for that," She said dryly, shielding her eyes, trying to let them adjust to the light.

"Didn't want any breakfast?" Annie asked, sitting down on a nearby chair and curling up in it, pulling her legs up.

Roseanna shuddered at the thought, shaking her head. "Not hungry."

Annie frowned, aware that something was amiss. "So…how was your night?"

Roseanna smiled at Annie, who couldn't contain her happy mood. "Obviously not as good as yours was."

Annie blushed, putting a hand over her mouth to cover her irremovable grin. She cleared her throat. "Why? What happened?"

"Fathers being Fathers," She rolled her eyes. "Namely mine."

"What did he do?"

"He just talked Dick's ear off about what a great man Floyd and asking his opinion on him as a potential suitor for me…," she trailed off.

Annie frowned. "…Floyd?"

"The one who requested that I serenade him onstage," She explained.

"Ooooh, him," Annie said, smiling mischievously at the memory. "So William approves, does he?"

"Apparently," She rolled her eyes.

Annie frowned again. "That's an awkward situation. What did Dick say?"

She threw her hands up in the air, desperately. "He left! He just got up and left! Not that I can really blame him, of course."

"You didn't go after him?" Annie asked, shaking her head incredulously.

"No, of course I didn't," She protested. "What was I supposed to say? Urgh, this is awful. We leave tomorrow and I haven't even come close to saying anything that I wanted to say to him."

"So just tell him how you feel," Annie said, shrugging her shoulders. She couldn't understand why Roseanna was having so much trouble with one man.

"It's no that simple," She looked down, sighing. "I don't know how to eplain it…. Well, Dick's sort of…. Put it this way, where Lewis is like a pressure cooker, Dick is more of a…slow cooker."

"Hey!" Annie gasped, suppressing a laugh. "What makes you think Captain Nixon acts fast.

"Because…look at your face!" Roseanna said, amused.

"I'll have you know, Roseanna Caine…," Annie wagged a finger at her. "I've kept my innocence in every way possible."

"Really…," Roseanna cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Well, that said…," Annie leaned back in her chair, sighing. "He's just an incredible man. I've never met anyone like that, which is saying something given the industry we're in. I don't know…being here, in this place…I feel pretty free. I can't believe we leave in two days."

"Had you forgotten?" She asked, laughing. She liked seeing her friend this way.

"Actually…yes," Annie, usually the meticulous one, admitted. "This place does things to you, good things. I absolutely understand it now, Roseanna."

"Understand what?"

"Why you missed spending time with these men in Europe…it's an intoxicating atmosphere," Annie gushed. "The freedom of it all, my God…."

"Careful now, Annie," Roseanna chucked, but curious all the same to see her friend's reaction. "You sound like _you_ want to get left behind this time…."

"Well, now you mention it," Annie held up her hands, joking.

Roseanna bit her lip for a moment, hesitant to say what she was about to say. "What if…what if we stayed?"

Annie's forehead wrinkled momentarily as she frowned, before bursting into laughter. "Stay? What _are_ you talking about? Everything's scheduled to the exact minute, our jeep has to be on the road tomorrow evening after the show."

Roseanna held her hands up, shaking her head. "I know that, I know _it_ does. But what if we…stayed here?"

"I struggle sometimes to understand the inner-workings of your brain sometimes, Rosie, honestly I do," Annie frowned. "Why would we stay here?"

"Why wouldn't we?" Roseanna challenged, laughing. "Wouldn't you like to spend the summer here? Getting to know Lewis?"

"I'm not disputing that," Annie said, a smile playing about her lips. "But I meant _why _would we stay here? What reason could we possibly come up with?"

"Well, actually, I've already had a thought about that," Roseanna smiled confidently. "I'm sure that with the soldiers being in this place, having too much free time on their hands, no enemy to fight anymore and access to alcohol, it's a very tense time. Mix in all of those factors and there could be heightened tensions, fights breaking out, etc. etc. I suppose they could use two people from the USO staying as entertainment figures, of sorts, organising recreational activities in the evening to keep them occupied."

Annie was silent for a moment, before bursting into laughter again. "How can you possibly think they'd go for an idea like that."

"Why wouldn't they?" She protested. "They wouldn't have to pay us, just find a spare room or two for us somewhere in this gigantic hotel. Besides, it'll reflect well on the USO."

Annie stopped for a moment, as though she was actually considering it. She then shook her head uncertainly. "No, it's ludicrous."

"It's _not_ ludicrous," She sighed, desperately trying to change her friend's mind. She put a hand out, gently giving her knee a shake. "My father's been speaking to the Colonel when they've been having their night caps, and as it goes for the moment, he discerned that there are no immediate plans for the regiment to be moved on at this time. Come on, we could really do with spending the rest of the summer here. You need a break from Lola and I haven't seen you this excited about a man since…we'll, I've _never_ seen you this excited about a man."

Annie cocked her head at her. "…and what about you?"

Roseanna thought for a moment, sighing as she offered Annie a smile. "I have some unfinished business to take care of here."

Annie beamed, reluctant to admit that she was feeling won over, and that the prospect of a summer in this alpine haven was intensely tempting. "Should we arrange to speak to the Colonel?"

Roseanna shook her head. "I don't think my talking to the Colonel would do us any good. I was thinking you should go talk to him."

"On my own?" Annie squeaked.

"No…," Roseanna shook her head. "I think we need to bring out the big guns."

"Your father?" Annie asked.

"My father, exactly."

………………………………..

That afternoon, Roseanna found herself sitting on her balcony again. In fact, she hadn't moved all day. Annie, meticulous as ever, had left immediately to set the wheels in motion. There was a lot to arrange in such a little time. She heard a small knocking at the balcony door behind her and turned round to see her father standing there. She motioned for him to come out and join her. He graciously sat down on a chair nearby, sighing wearily as he did so. They didn't say anything, William merely staring out at the view whilst Roseanna pulled her legs up, hugging her knees to her chest and swaying gently.

William finally broke the silence. "Well, I can see why you wouldn't want to leave this place."

"Annie spoke to you then?" She asked, biting her lip.

William just nodded.

"So…," She paused. "So you'll talk to the Colonel?"

Her father chuckled at her. "Are there really no limits to how far you'll travel to get away from us?"

She bit her lip again, smiling. "That's not the reason behind this request, dad."

"I know, I know. I'm only joking," He gave her a little smile, then frowned. "That said, I'm not sure I'm entirely comfortable with the idea of abandoning my daughter and her best friend who is, in effect, _like_ a daughter to me, alone in Europe."

"You wouldn't be abandoning us, dad," She protested. "Besides, the war is over, and where else would we be safer than under the care of a regiment of the U.S Army?"

He took a deep sigh. "Are you sure that this is _really_ what you want?"

She neither confirmed nor denied this, just smiling at him. "What else am I going to do with my summer?"

William afforded an amused smile to his daughter, before his expression turned deadly serious. Deadly serious in a way that was uncommon for William Caine. "Just promise me one thing."

"What?" She asked, intrigued.

"Stay in touch," He said, shooting her a warning glance. "That means letters every other day, with detailed descriptions of how you're both doing, what you're both eating, where you're both going…everything."

"I promise, Dad."

"Then it's settled," He said, taking a deep breath.

"So you'll talk to Colonel Sink?" She asked, her eyes twinkling.

William gently dusted off the chest of his shirt, preening himself nonchalantly. "The good Colonel has invited me to lunch with him this very afternoon, in around an hour. I'll use that time to talk to him."

…………………………………….

Roseanna was flying as high as a kite, feeling a whole new lease of life and sense of freedom in the knowledge that her father was speaking to Colonel Sink at that very moment. She had never felt more confident than at the moment as she strode powerfully towards Lola's bedroom. She didn't even knock, just opened the door quietly and let herself in. Lola lay on top of her bed reading a magazine, her feet daintily lying on a pillow with a toe separator already in place, no doubt waiting for Annie to come and paint her toenails. Placing her hand firmly on the door, Roseanna slammed it shut with a large bang to get Lola's attention. Lola jumped about three feet in the air, her face panicked until she saw it was Roseanna who'd slammed the door, her face turning livid.

"Do you always have to clatter around like a giant lummox, Roseanna?" Lola spat out threw gritted teeth, picking up her magazine from where she'd dropped it on the floor.

Roseanna didn't rise to this comment as she took a few steps inside the room, sniggering. "You know Lola, you really should venture outside of the hotel sometime. You don't realise what a beautiful place this is."

Lola snorted with laughter. "Good plan, Roseanna…and leave myself wide-open to kidnappers. That'll be the day."

"Trust me, Lola," Roseanna crossed her arms, suppressing a laugh of her own. "Thirty minutes with you and any kidnapper would be begging _us_ to take you back."

Lola rolled her eyes, averting her gaze back to her magazine. "Much as I love these verbal sparring matches with you, Roseanna, why don't you just tell me what you want."

"Well, I'm glad you asked me that," She said, perching on the end of Lola's bed. "I'm here to talk to you about the bigger picture…."

"Come again?"

She placed her hands in her lap, putting her head to one side as she looked at Lola. "Did you ever imagine, Lola, that when you sent me on that wrong jeep that it would backfire on you?"

Lola set her magazine aside, leaning closer to Roseanna, challenging: "I wasn't aware that it had backfired."

"Come now, Lola. Surely you didn't anticipate that Annie would have to come up with a story to cover up the situation, the one where it looked like I voluntarily went into a warzone? The one that would turn me into America's Sweetheart," She said, allowing the corners of her mouth to turn up into a smug smile.

Lola waved a hand dismissively. "People forget."

She smiled knowingly. "Not _that_ quickly, Lola. There's going to be a killing to be made in concert tickets from all of those servicemen returning from this war, eager to make up for lost dates with their own sweethearts. It's just there for the taking, Lola, and, right now, who do you think has the potential to be the biggest taker? _Really_?"

Lola slammed her fists down on the bed. "So you've come here to gloat? Or challenge me?"

Roseanna shrugged. "Neither, Lola, because, unlike you, I don't want it. Don't want it one little bit. You can have it, for all I care. But, don't get me wrong, I'm more than happy to take it to spite you. With that in mind, I've come to make you an offer…."

"An offer?" Lola echoed, sneering at her.

"You may have eavesdropped that I want to spend the summer here in Austria,"

"I'd heard," Lola said dryly. "Didn't want to get my hopes up, though."

Ignoring her, Roseanna explained: "Should I choose to stay here, that solves all of your problems, doesn't it? Since I wouldn't be there to steal your spotlight."

"Why would I barter with you of all people?" Lola sat up, tensing angrily. She stared Roseanna down threateningly. "I'm sure I could find a way to trick you into staying here…after all, I've done it before, haven't I?"

"Trust me, Lola," She said, firmly. "I will _never_ fall for something like that a second time."

Lola's face softened momentarily. "Out of curiosity, what would this exchange be? Bearing in mind that I haven't accepted."

Roseanna smiled at her innocently. "I only ask for one, tiny favour of you…then I'll hopefully be out of your hair. One tiny thing you have to do tonight."

"Tonight?" Lola echoed, her skin tingling. She hated it when Roseanna had the upper hand on her.

"Yes, Lola," Roseanna said, leaning back cockily. "Tonight you're gonna put on a show, a performance, if you will…and you have to really _mean_ it."

"A performance?" Lola furrowed her brow.

"That's right," Roseanna sat up, looking her stepsister square in the eye. "…and it might well be the performance of your life."

……………………….

That night the mess hall was packed, yet in utter silence as all eyes focussed on Rita Hayworth on the screen. Roseanna sat near the back, watching the movie. Well, she'd tried to watch but she was too excited for it to come to an end. She fidgeted with anticipation in her chair as the end credits finally began to roll. Suddenly she felt someone sit down on the empty chair next to her and she looked over to see Floyd smiling at her. She jumped with surprise a little. "Oh, hi Tab."

"Evening," He looked her in the eye, smiling. "I haven't seen you around all day."

"I had a busy day," She gave him an apologetic look. "Did you enjoy the movie?"

"I was on duty," He frowned. "I didn't get to see it, but I thought I'd come here and see if you were here?"

"You came to see me?" She squeaked a little, a nervous feeling in her stomach.

She was momentarily distracted by the sight of a Private winding up the white screen, revealing the makeshift stage they'd been using for their performances. Excited cheers erupted around the room when Lola wandered onstage, dressed in full performance clothing. Her blonde curls were piled back on top of her head, and her ruby red lips matched her figure-hugging scarlet dress. Roseanna clapped her hands together excitedly when she saw her stepsister, an anticipation building up within her.

Floyd frowned. "What's going on?"

"What's going on?" She shot him a devilish smile. "A young man's wildest dreams are about to come true, that's what's going on."

Lola walked up to the microphone that had been set up on stage, a placed strategically next to it. She gave a little wave to the audience, clearing her throat before saying into the microphone. "Is there a George Luz in the audience tonight?"

There was a stunned, momentary silence over the crowd before a small furore of cheers erupted from the corner near the front of the room, as members of Easy wildly began to shout out that George was sitting there.

"He's here!" Liebgott shouted out.

George, blushing, stood up, quickly straightening his shirt as he identified himself.

Lola made a large show of kissing her palm to her lips and blowing a kiss at him. The cheers and whoops reached deafening level. George looked as though he might faint, reaching for the back of his chair to steady himself.

"Well alright, Luz!" Talbert whooped from beside Roseanna, clapping his hands together enthusiastically.

Lola wagged a finger at George, motioning for him to come up on stage. "Well then, come on up here, Mister. I have a chair here that I want you to sit down on."

As George quickly made his way to the stage, his eyes sparkling, Tab leaned into Roseanna. "Is this your doing?"

She smiled innocently at him. "Maybe."

When George had taken a seat on the wooden chair, Lola walked up to the back of it, placing a hand on either side. "Well now, I've been so excited to meet you, George Luz."

"You…you have?" He gulped, looking excitedly at her.

"That's right?" She said seductively into the microphone. "And I couldn't wait to get you up on stage here tonight so that I could sing you a little song."

"You want to…sing to me?" George couldn't believe his ears. The audience went wild.

The music started up and, getting down on her knees beside George, Lola launched into a rendition of "At Last", the song notably sung by Ray Eberle and Pat Friday in the 1942 film _Orchestra Wives_ (the song that would later become famous through Etta James). It suited Lola's soulful voice perfectly:

At last  
my love has come along  
my lonely days over  
and life is like a song

Ooh, yeah, yeah  
At last  
the skies above are blue  
My heart was wrapped up in clover  
the night I looked at you

I found a dream  
that I could speak to  
A dream that I  
can call my own  
I found a thrill  
to press my cheek to  
A thrill that I have never known  
Ohh, yeah, yeah

You smile  
you smile  
Ooh and then the spell was cast  
And here we are in heaven  
for you are mine at last

When the song was over, Lola leaned across and kissed George square on the cheek for several seconds, pulling away to reveal a large, scarlet lipstick mark. He put a hand gingerly to his cheek where she'd kissed. He couldn't believe that had actually just happened to him. He wondered if she might want her phone number. Nah, maybe he should ask later, not in front of this large crowd.

"You're a lucky bastard, Luz!" A shout came from the audience.

Roseanna clapped her hands along with the crowd. Her heart leapt as she looked at George. He looked so happy. It definitely made up for when Lola had ignored him the day before. She felt Tab's hand gently cover hers, surprising her, taking her aback so much that she didn't instantly remove it.

"Now, I'm confused," he smiled mischievously at her. "How did you get her to agree to that?"

She gave his hand a squeeze before pulling her own away. "Lola's just…holding up her end of a deal."

"And what deal would that be?" He asked her flirtaciously.

She winked at him. "All will be revealed in time, Sergeeant. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I should get George a glass of water before he passes out."

………………………………..

_**July 5**__**th**__**, 1945- Zell Am See**_

Wearing some loose-fitting trousers and a sweatshirt, a towel slung over her shoulder, Roseanna made her way out for a swim at the spot Dick had suggested for a morning swim. The night had passed without any news and she was beginning to feel slightly nervous about the whole situation. She hoped that a swim would take her mind off of things, calm her down…. Whilst a small part of her hoped that she might meet Dick on the way, she couldn't believe it when she did, in fact, see him strolling from out of the path leading into the forest. She stopped, then he stopped as he saw her, both doing a double take. Unable to avoid it, they slowly walked up to each other, hands firmly in their pockets. They stood in front of each other.

"Morning," He said finally, breaking the silence.

"Good Morning," She replied.

"You're a little dressed-down today," He said, giving her a faint smile to highlight it as a joke.

"Oh," She said, feeling her cheeks redden as she suddenly became aware of his casual clothing. "I was just going for a swim. In the place you recommended, actually."

"Oh," He said, pointing. "Just right down that way."

"Thanks," She said earnestly, following his gaze. Acting quickly before she had a moment to talk herself out of it, she indicated to her towel. "Would you…would you like to join me?"

Swallowing, he politely declined. "I'm afraid I've got paperwork to attend to."

She put a hand on her hip, flashing him a grin making a show of sighing. "Paperwork, again? It's always paperwork with you. The war here is over. How can you still have so much paperwork?"

He shrugged his shoulders, his fingertips still lingering in the tips of his pockets. He chuckled. "The war _is_ over…and now we just get to write about it, I suppose."

"Hence the paperwork," she said, tapping her forehead with her index finger as though she finally understood. "You really have that much to do?"

"Lots," He said, a smile playing about his lips.

"Well in that case…," She said, carving shapes in the gravel on the ground with the toe of her shoe. "…maybe I could help you?"

Dick paused, his eyebrows raised. "Help…me?"

"Yes, _help you_," She enunciated. "I'm a great typist, really."

He arched an eyebrow at her. "…really?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes! I didn't dictate my papers at Sarah Lawrence to a secretary, you know."

Dick looked at her, vaguely amused. He pretended to mull it over. "Well…I suppose I could give you a trial."

"A trial?" She echoed. "That's…really quite insulting. You should have faith in me"

He laughed. "Sorry, I'm a bit sceptical on this one…."

"Well then show me the way," she waved her arm. "…so I can prove you wrong."

……………………………

Walking into his office, Dick led the way, pulling out a chair for Roseanna and motioning for her to sit down. "Take a seat, Miss Caine."

His attempt at a joke had gone completely over her head. In fact, she wasn't even listening to him. She'd been immediately distracted by the view from his nearby balcony. She stumbled aimlessly towards the door, walking out onto the balcony and putting her hands on the railing as she took in the panoramic view of the glittering water. _Wow_, she breathed. She turned round to face him as she heard his gentle footsteps join her. She leaned her elbows on the banister as she looked at him, shaking her head. "You really got lucky on the view, Dick. I guess rank really _does_ have it's privileges."

He joked, taking a pained sigh. "Yes, but it's so hard to work…distracted by this beautiful view in my large, window-filled, office."

She rolled her eyes. "How awful for you."

"It is," He said, opening to balcony door for her. "But it helps that I'm so strong-willed. Let's see what you've got, Miss Caine."

Groaning, she followed him back inside, taking a seat behind his typewriter, her eyes growing wide in surprise at the stack of paper on his desk. "You really weren't lying, were you?"

"I never lie," He smiled. "You should know that."

"Sorry, _Sir_," She said, leaning back in her chair. "So…what do you want me to do."

He leaned down next to her, making her stomach flutter involuntarily, opening one of the desk drawers and pulling out a handwritten letter. He placed it down next to her. "Try typing that out for me."

"Alright," She said, flexing her hands first before poising her fingers above the keyboard. She quickly typed out the greeting and the first line, leaning back in her chair again. "See."

He leaned in to look at the page, his chin brushing her hair. Realising what he'd done, he quickly moved himself away, blushing slightly. He cleared his throat, trying to appear nonchalant, surveying her typed page. He frowned.

"What?" She asked, looking at his frown.

"No, it's not bad," He said, smiling at her encouragingly. "It's just that there's only one _n _ in Colonel and that word was supposed to be _send_ not _sand_."

"Those are just…typing mistakes," She said, snatching the paper back off of him, her cheeks reddening. "Either that or it's your illegible handwriting. Pick one."

He couldn't help himself from laughing. "I don't think this job interview is going particularly well."

"Aw, shucks," She playfully punched the air. "If it helps I have excellent references. Just ask my father."

She stopped, grimacing, remembering the other night. She swallowed, looking apologetically at him. "I'm sorry about my father, by the way."

"Your father?" He echoed.

"Asking you a million questions the other night," She looked down. "…about Floyd."

"Don't worry, I'd forgotten all about it," He said, busying himself by sifting through some sheets of paper on a nearby coffee table.

She cocked her head as she looked at him, unable to tell if he was lying or not. She opened her mouth to speak when suddenly a knock sounded at the door, followed by a small man's head appearing round it. He addressed Dick: "Telephone for you, Major."

"Thank you, Szalinsky," Dick nodded at him, motioning that he'd be there in a moment. He looked at Roseanna. "Sorry, I have to go and take that. I've been waiting for a phone call in particular all day. You can wait here if that's what you want or…I imagine you'll have packing to do."

"Nope, it's all done," She shook her head quickly. She tapped on the piece of paper by the typewriter. "I think I'll stay and work on my typing skills."

"Alright," He smiled, motioning to the door. "I'll be right back."

When she was alone she poised her fingers above the typewriter again, ready to keep going. She stopped. Who was she kidding? She couldn't believe she was alone in Dick's office, surrounded by his things. She touched the wooden panelling of the desk, _Dick's_ desk. She let her fingers softly trace the grooves in the wood, letting them slip down until they rested on the drawer that he'd taken his letter from. Her fingers moving to the brass handle, she pulled it back lightly, unable to stop herself from taking a peek inside. She wasn't sure what she was hoping to find, perhaps anything that would give her some sort of insight into the inner thoughts and musings of his mind. She noticed how neat it was, how everything had been arranged neatly into corners. She couldn't help but think to herself that it was Annie that he should be with, as they seemed as meticulous as each other. She stopped suddenly, her gaze stopping on bundle of letters tied together by a string. _Her_ letters, the handwriting confirmed that. He had kept every one of her letters. As she closed the drawer shut again, she couldn't help but feel satisfaction at that. He'd found her letters important enough to hold onto them and carry them around Europe with him. She sat back in her chair again, grinning like an idiot as she stretched out her legs. She looked at the stack of forms piled all over the desk, wondering why he had to deal with so much of it. Surely one of the other privileges of rank was that you could find other people to do these kinds of things for you. Picking up a nearby stack, she thumbed through them, trying to make sense of them. Reports, reports, reports…what? She paused, frowning at the crisp, white piece of paper she'd just pulled from the bundle. Was she reading it right? She couldn't stop herself from reading it aloud incredulously. "Application for…transfer?"


	22. Chapter 22 To Stay or Not To Stay

**Falling Star Chapter 22**

……………………………**..**

_**July 5**__**th**__**, 1945- Zell Am See**_

That afternoon, Dick sat in his office at his typewriter, his fingers nimbly moving over the keys of his typewriter.

"_Still_ at it?" Nix asked, poking his head round the door.

"My assistant abandoned me," Dick said dryly, a little smile on his lips, knowing Nix wouldn't understand.

To his surprise Nix uttered. "The lovely Miss Caine, I presume?"

Blinking as he looked away from his report, he looked at Nix. "What?"

Nix smirked. "Harry saw both of you walking inside from his balcony. Seriously, Dick…you brought her in here to type your reports? A regular Casanova, you are."

He cast his eyes back to his report. "Well, she left, so…."

"She left?" Ni asked, interested, shutting the door behind him as he walked further into the room.

He continued typing nonchalantly. "I went to take a phone call, came back…and she was gone. Last-minute preparations to do, I expect."

"Maybe she had to go speak with Sink," Nix mused, crossing his arms. "You know."

He stopped typing. "Why would she have to go and speak with Sink?"

Nix's eyes lit up. "You mean you don't know?"

"Don't know what?" Dick frowned at him, shifting in his chair.

Nix relaxed back on his head, grinning. "I thought you would've been one of the first to hear."

"Apparently I'm not," He raised his eyebrows. "What don't I know?"

Nix chuckled to himself as he walked back over to the door. "I think I'll let this one come straight from the horse's mouth. Good luck with that report, Dick."

……………………….

As Roseanna walked the corridors of the large hotel, she folded her arms, just thinking. Thinking about everything. What bad timing this was. Was it all a mistake now? She was so lost in her thoughts, that she didn't realise what part of the building she'd wandered into, the wallpaper suddenly looking unfamiliar to her. She was so unaware that she didn't notice Colonel Sink walking towards her until she walked smack into him, sending the papers he was carrying flying in every direction.

"My Goodness," She said, scrambling to the ground to help pick them up. "I'm so sorry!"

"I would've thought all of those weeks in Belgium would have increased your awareness," He said, cracking a rare smile as she handed him back his papers.

"_And_ it only took a few weeks on a farm in Iowa to increase my complacency," She said, cracking a small smile of her own.

"I can imagine," He said, putting a hand on his hip as he looked at her. "You have some very persuasive people in your company, Miss Caine."

She nodded. "My father is a very persuasive man."

"Isn't he just," The Colonel's moustache twitched.

She played with her fingers, anxiously, casting the image of the form out of her mind or a moment. "Then might I enquire, Colonel, as to whether he was successful in persuading you or not?"

"I'm a military man, Miss Caine. I'm not susceptible to bribes or flattery…," He said, folding his arms and looking at her sternly.

"Oh," She said, her face drooping as she looked down at the floor.

He cleared his throat. "_But in this case_, I decided to make an exception."

She raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

He put a hand on his tie, looking dignified. "Let's just say that _Mrs_ Colonel Sink will have a surprise performance for her 40th birthday party."

"I see," Roseanna said, suppressing a laugh. "Well, for being a good sport, Colonel, _I'd_ show up myself I you wanted me to."

"I'll bear that in mind," He said, lightly wagging a finger. "No, I don't actually mind at all. On the contrary, I can see the upside in it. So long as neither of you interfere in any of our work here…."

She held up her hands confidently. "I promise, you'll barely even know that we're here."

He nodded politely at her, bidding her good day and carrying on down the corridor. As she watched him go, the smile slipped from her face. Her summer plans had been officially tainted, but there was nothing she could do about it. As she trooped back towards her bedroom, her mind couldn't help but race. In truth, she hadn't even thought about the war that still raged on in the East. She'd felt only elation with VE day, but given little thought to the wider picture. As she climbed the last stair to her floor, she gave the banister a little, frustrated kick with the edge of her foot.

"Hey, whatever the banister did I'm sure it really regrets it!" George Luz piped up.

Roseanna looked up, to see him standing, arms crossed, outside her door. "Oh, hi. I thought I was on my own."

"I came to say goodbye. I know you're leaving tonight and I'll be on duty when you do, so…," He said, straightening up as she approached. "I wanted to thank you, too."

"Thank me?" She echoed.

"My serenade from your good stepsister. I was too dazed last night to say it." He said, his lips curling into a bashful smile. "I have a slight inkling that you mighta had something to do with that?"

"Who? Me?" She asked, feigning shock as she put a hand to her chest.

"Don't act so innocent," He shook his head at her, rolling his eyes. "I doubt very much that she did that out of the kindness out of her heart or any genuine affection for me."

She cocked her head to one side. "You never know."

He laughed, shaking his head. "No, I _do_ know. So…thanks."

"You're welcome, George," She said, patting his shoulder. "But don't thank me too much. It wasn't a totally selfless act. I can't say I didn't get a tiny bit of satisfaction in making her do it."

"I can imagine," He said. "Anyway, that aside, it's been good having you back with us for a while."

A secretive smile played about her lips. "Well I'm glad you think that way, George."

He frowned, studying her face. "Why? Why that face?"

"Well," She leaned in closer to him, lowering her voice. "Keep it to yourself for now but, Annie and I…we're sticking around a little while."

His eyes lit up. "Hey, really?"

"Yes," She said, smiling excitedly at him. "My dad and Annie convinced Colonel Sink to let the two of us stay here to provide entertainment for the soldiers."

George raised one eyebrow. "…entertainment?"

"Yes," She said excitedly, then stopped, realising how he'd heard it. "No, no! Movies, card nights, book readings, that sort of thing…."

"Oh," He said, shrugging his shoulders. "I think my way sounded more fun, but that's good news all the same. The fellas'll be happy to hear that."

"I hope so,"

"And you did this out of the goodness of your heart, did you?" He asked, flashing her a devilish look.

"Just you let me worry about why I did it," She said, shaking her head and laughing. She watched him walk back over to the stairs. "George, wait!"

"Yeah?" He asked, craning his neck back round to look at her.

"What..um…what do you know about the state of things in the Pacific?" She asked, balancing her weight nonchalantly on the balls of her feet.

He looked at her, amused. Why did she care? "Still ongoing, far as anyone knows."

"I suppose then, now that the war's over in Europe if anyone wanted to hotfoot it over there soon enough to help out, they could do it easily," She said, hoping he'd prove her wrong.

"They could transfer, if they wanted," He mused, rubbing his chin. "Interesting you say that actually. The regiment's apparently definitely being redeployed there."

"What?" Her eyes bulged.

"Well, so they say…haven't had any actual evidence of it yet," He shrugged his shoulder. "Hopefully it'll all be over before then."

"Yeah, hopefully," She opened her door. "See you, George."

……………………

"Roseanna! Roseanna are you in here?" Annie's voice rung out through Roseanna's room. She pursed her lips and cocked her head as she saw Roseanna lying down on the sofa. "There you are?"

Roseanna looked round, sitting up slowly to face her. "Oh, hi."

Annie looked at her, her eyes alive with excitement. "So…? Did you hear?"

She cleared her throat, rubbing her eyes. "Yes, yes I heard."

"It's brilliant news! Your father was _so_ good in that room with the Colonel. I swear, if he wasn't a singer he should consider going into law….," Annie frowned. "You don't look very excited."

"No," She shook her head. "I am, I am. It's just…."

"It's just what?" Annie said, moving over and sitting down on the sofa next to her.

"It's just…," She said, pausing for a second before reaching into her bag and pulling out a form. Dick's transfer form. "…this."

"What is this?" Annie said, taking it an scanning it over. "A transfer form? Where did you get this?"

"I…I took it from Dick's office," She said, guiltily.

"You stole this?!" Annie raised her eyes.

"Bigger picture please, Annie," Roseanna scolded, but then looked down. "But yes, I took it. I don't know why I did…I saw it, panicked and made a rash decision. I'm sure he can get another one, though."

Annie shook her head, thinking. "So Dick wants to transfer? Transfer to…?"

"Well, the Pacific, I presume," She sighed. "I mean, where else could he go? Oh, and George Luz told me that the whole division is being prepped for redeployment to the Pacific."

"Yes, I know," Annie said, biting her lip.

"You knew?" She echoed, frowning.

"Lewis told me," Annie explained. "But I didn't say anything because he seems to think that it'll take too long to get all of the arrangements in place and that the war will probably be over before then."

"Oh," She said, feeling at least some sense of relief. "Well here's hoping. So, then, do you suppose that Dick is planning to transfer on his own without the division?"

Annie shrugged. "Possibly. I don't see why he'd want to leave his division, though."

"No, I can't either," She sighed. "It seems so rash."

"Well, look at it this way," Annie put a hand on her shoulder, trying to cheer her up. "Maybe it's fruitless like with the regiment. Maybe it'll be over before he gets a chance to go over there."

"I hope so," She bit her lip nervously. "Because if I thought that he was leaving…I'd think that I might as well go home."

"No," Annie scolded, tapping her shoulder. "Don't say that. Don't even think that. This was _your_ idea and people have pulled a lot of strings to make it happen."

"I know, I know," She sighed, looking down into her lap.

"Don't be such a sap," Annie said, frankly. "You don't know what'll happen. At least use the time you've got here…besides, who knows what might happen. Maybe, just maybe, when he finds out that you're staying he'll want to stay himself."

"I suppose you're right," She said, taking the form back from Annie and looking at it. "I suppose I should really try and slip this back in his office.

"I think that's for the best," Annie laughed, shaking her head incredulously. "Whatever possess you, Rosie?"

"Like I said, I just panicked," She said, her cheeks flushing red with guilt. She let out a laugh of her own. "Pretty stupid, I suppose."

"You said it, "Annie sat up in her chair, crossing her legs. "Besides, you can't leave me here alone. It looks like this is going to be quite a task."

"What do you mean?"

"I was in touch with the USO HQ this afternoon," She explained, scrutinizing her fingernails. "They've said that they'll see to it that we get some supplies sent to us from USO troupes departing back to the US."

"Supplies?"

"You know, film reels, games, books…that sort of thing," Annie explained. "So at least we'll have plenty to do."

"I suppose I really can't leave you in the lurch then," She reasoned, giving her a joking jab in the side. She stood up, holding out a hand for Annie. "Let's go and help my dad pack."

……………………………..

That night, many of the soldiers had assembled themselves on their balconies or outside the building to watch the Caines departing. Little did they know that it would only be Lola and William on the way. The Caines watched as some helpful Privates nearby loaded the suitcases onto the jeep.

After hugging Annie goodbye, provoking hushed whispers from the men, William turned to Roseanna, putting a hand on either side of her shoulders. His lip began to tremble ever so slightly, despite his best efforts to keep it stiff."I suppose, then, that this is goodbye."

"Oh, Dad," She shook her head at him, laughing yet feeling a sadness deep down. Much as she had felt the need to get away in the past few years of her life, it was never nice to say goodbye to her father. "Don't get yourself into such a state."

"Goodbyes are hard, darling. I should know, I've said enough of them to last me a lifetime," He justified himself, squeezing her shoulder affectionately. "It's alright though, we know that love is true when it truly pains us to say goodbye. What's that phrase…_Only in the agony of parting do we look into the depths of love._"

She smiled lightly at his quoting of George Eliot, one of her mother's favourite writers. She blinked away a tear from her eye. "Don't get me going, Dad. I'll see you soon."

"Make sure of it," He said, giving her a slightly warning look. "Just so you know…I've asked young Talbert to keep an eye on you."

She rolled her eyes at his eager meddling in her private life. "Thanks for that."

"I'm a father, it's my job to look out for you and, in the event that I can't do that, to find someone who can do the job for me," He said, giving her a hug before pulling back and looking her square in the eye. "Promise me something?"

"I already promised to stay in touch," She pointed out.

"No, not that," He shook his head. "Promise me that you'll use this time to work out what's been irking you for the past few years. Use this time for soul searching."

Raising her eyes at the comment which had caught her so off guard, she couldn't formulate a reply for him, simply nodding at him. She took a step back. William walked over to the driver, engaging him in conversation. She took another step back, herself, watching the privates loading on the last of the trunks and bags, arguing amongst themselves over who would be the lucky one to give Lola Caine a hand to step-up onto the truck. Crossing her arms against the slight, evening chill her eyes skimmed the crowd, stopping on the sight of Dick standing near the edge just by Colonel Sink, his hands lightly in his pockets. As their eyes met he nodded at her, giving her an expectant look. Unabashedly, she waved him over with her hand.

"Evening," He said, approaching.

"Sorry that I left today," She apologised. "I had…something to attend to."

"Don't worry about it," He said, adding. "I finished my reports in the end."

"That's…good," Was all she could think of to say.

"So I suppose that this is goodbye yet again," He said, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. He was silent for a moment, before finally opening his mouth. "Before you go, I'd just like you to know that…"

She held up a hand. "No goodbyes necessary, Dick. I'm not actually going…."

"I just want to say that you'll be missed around here, by myself included," He continued talking past her, as though on some kind of roll. He dug the toe of his boot nervously into the gravel, looking her fleetingly in the eye as he said. "Also, if you wanted to write to me again then that would be alright."

She put a hand on her hip, laughing. "Well, I would but…."

"Oh," He reddened. "That's alright if you don't want it. It was just a suggestion but…."

She held up her hands again, exasperatedly. Talk about the wrong end of the stick. "Dick! Listen for a moment, will you? I'm not going anywhere."

"No, don't worry, I…," He stopped, finally taking on board what she'd just said. "…what?"

"I'm staying right here," She said coyly, unable to stop herself smiling as she made eye contact with him.

"I don't understand," He said, confused.

"Well, Annie and my father spoke to Colonel Sink over there," She said, indicating Dick to look at the Colonel, who nodded politely at both of them. Dick rubbed his chin in confusion as he looked at the Colonel and then back at Roseanna, waiting for her to continue. "…and he agreed to let us stay on here with the troops. Annie and I, I mean."

"Al…right," He said, scratching his head. "…why?"

"As part of the USO to provide in-house evening entertainment for the soldiers," She said, vaguely worried by his disconcerted look. She desperately tried to justify herself. "You know, we figured that way there would be less trouble onsite with all of the drinking etc. Keep things in a controlled environment.

He still looked taken aback, as though he had a million thoughts racing through his head. "I see…."

"Well gee, Dick," She said, laughing nervously. "At least _try_ and look a little excited."

"No, no I am," He said quickly, waving his hand to show that he wasn't trying to offend her. "It's just a little surprising, is all. I came here tonight expecting to say goodbye to you and…and now I'm not."

"As long as it's a good surprise," She said, laughing nervously again.

He could see the concern etched on her face, and felt guilty for making her feel that way. He reached out boldly and put a hand on her arm, sending a jolt through her. "Of course it's a nice surprise. I'm _really_ happy that you're staying."

"I'm glad," She beamed at him, thinking to herself, _because I'm doing it for you_.

"Well then," He said, sighing deeply as he rubbed his hands together. "I suppose we should make this official. Or am I really the last one to know?"

She put a hand over her mouth, embarrassed, as she laughed. "I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you before, but…I just couldn't. I wanted it to be a surprise, I suppose. Besides, I only found out today, myself. But anyway, no…I don't many of these soldiers no."

"Alright then," He said, clearing his throat and turning to the crowd, raising his voice. "Listen up, men! I have some good news for you. It seems that Miss Wilkes and Miss Caine, here, will be sticking around with us for a little bit longer. They'll be staying behind to provide useful things for you to do with your free time here. I trust that you'll all make them feel welcome."

She turned to Dick, smiling, as an applause rose up. Stepping up beside him, she raised her voice too. "That's right. Annie and I, we're really happy to be staying here…and to show you just how happy we'll be showing you a new movie in the hall tonight. It's a brand new movie, never seen before on a USO troupe so we're sure that you'll all enjoy it."

As the applause continued, she caught the eye of her father, who smiled proudly at her before mounting the jeep with a final wave. As they drove off Annie appeared beside her and nudged her in the arm. "You didn't say goodbye to Lola."

"I didn't?" She turned to her, putting a finger innocently on her lips. "Is that bad?"

"So," Nix said, appearing from within the crowd which was slowly beginning to disperse back inside. He looked at the two girls, beaming at Annie for a second before turning his attention to Roseanna. "At least you're still here on purpose this time."

"Very good, Lew," She rolled her eyes as the four of them began to walk back inside. "I was wondering how long before someone made a joke about Belgium."

"Don't worry," Nix laughed, rubbing his hands together as Dick held the door open for the girls. "I've got a ton of them and a whole summer to use them."

……………………….

Roseanna mocking drummed her fingernails impatiently on the wooden table situated behind the screen, which was all set for showing the film, as Dick struggled towards her with a boxful of film reels. She thanked him as he set it down on the table with a thump.

"I can't believe it," He said, rubbing his neck as though it was painful. "Two minutes working here and you've already got me running around after you."

"What can I say, Dick?" She said, batting her eyelashes at him in jest as she put a hand over her chest. "I know you're a chivalrous man and I would _never, never_ attempt to take advantage of that."

He cocked an eyebrow at her, suppressing a smile. "I'm not so sure."

She winked at him, indicating for him to leave. "Go on, go get a good seat whilst I find the right one."

"Oh, and bossing me around, too?" He joked, smiling bashfully at her as he left her alone behind the screen.

Trying to ignore the rabble from the soldiers all eagerly awaiting the film, she began to sift through the stack of film reels in the box, hunting out the right one. She was suddenly alerted by the sound of someone clearing their throat loudly nearby and looked up to find Floyd staring back at her, straightening his own collar as they made eye contact. She jumped a little, taken aback, but then smiled. "Floyd."

"Evening," He nodded, taking a few steps closer to her. He indicated to her box. "Can I give you a hand?"

"No, it's alright," She said, picking up a film reel. "I've found it."

"Alright then," He said, turning to leave. He stopped, turning back to face her. "I'm glad that you're staying."

"Thank you, that's very sweet of you to say," She smiled, cradling the film reel under her arm and leaning against the table.

"You know," He brushed a strand of hair from his face as he looked at her coyly. "You're father asked me to keep an eye on you."

She rolled her eyes, embarrassed. "Yes, I heard. I'm sorry, Floyd, he can be a little meddlesome sometimes."

"No, I was happy that he asked," Floyd shook his head, continuing to smile at her. "Hopefully this means that we can spend some more time together."


	23. Chapter 23 Deliveries

**Falling Star Chapter 23**

Hi, sorry it's been taking me longer to update. One of my best friends since I can remember has just moved to Edinburgh and it's bizarre to not have her around and I'm really missing her. Edinburgh's not that far from Glasgow but still, haha. That's why I haven't been cranking out the chapters lately. Okay, rant over. Sorry, but if you can't rant on your own fanfic then where can you, eh? :p

Also, try and spot my little "Inglorious Basterds" reference somewhere in the chapter. Corny, I know, but I couldn't resist.

…………………………………………..

_**July 6**__**th**__**, 1945- Zell Am See, Austria**_

"You know, Dick, I really don't know how you know you're way around this hotel," Roseanna said, crossing her arms as she walked side-by-side with Dick as he led her down one of the many, vast corridors in the hotel. "We could be anywhere right now for all I know. Where are you taking me anyway?"

He stopped outside a door, taking out an ornate key and opening it, then handing her the key. He twisted the doorknob to open it, revealing a medium-sized office with a desk in one corner and not much else to speak of. She stepped inside, Dick closely behind her. She folded her arms again, taking in the surroundings before turning to him and squinting. "What is this place?"

"Well," He shrugged, putting his hands in his trouser pockets as he followed her gaze around the room. "I thought you and Annie could use this a base of operations, sort of thing."

"A base of operations?" She raised her eyes in amusement at his military-speak. "How very official, Major."

He smiled bashfully at her gentle mockery. "Alright, an _office_. I know I seemed a little surprised last night at the notion of you and Annie staying behind but, now that you're here, I thought you should both have a space of your own. It's a good spot as well, we keep the newsreels in a cupboard just a few doors down so you could put your film reels in there along with those."

She felt a gush in her heart at the gesture. "Thanks. What do you propose we do with this room, though?"

He shrugged again. "I thought you could use it to store your supplies."

"Good idea," She nodded, pursing her lips, frowning, embarrassed. "Although at the moment our supplies stretch no further than about five film reels, a single deck of cards and a microphone."

"Well, that's a good start to your post, I must say," He said sarcastically, smiling as he shook his head at her.

"Annie put a call into the USO and they're sending us some more supplies over, so hopefully we'll have plenty to fill it with," She justified herself. "But thank you, Dick. I really appreciate the gesture. I mean, we both do…or Annie will, at least, when I tell her."

He indicated around the room. "I mean, it's not much at the moment, but a good cleanout, a plant in the window…."

"Wait'll Annie's done with it," She laughed. "You won't recognise the place."

"The clock might need a new battery," He said, chuckling as he pointed to the wall clock which appeared to be permanently stuck on 2.35. He looked at his watch. "Because if I'm not mistaken it's actually…oh, I have to go."

"Go?" Her smile fell. "Go where?"

"Meeting with Colonel Sink," He said matter-of-factly, making for the door.

"Oh, really?" She piped up, unable to control a sudden ballsiness. "Meeting about what?"

He cast a confused look at her, smiling gently. "Why the interest?"

"I just am," She shrugged, pressing again. "So what's the meeting about?"

"Just some forms I'm submitting," He said, not wanting to divulge too much.

"What kind of forms?" She pressed again, curiously.

"Just forms," He frowned at her for a second before smiling, thinking a quick exit would be best. He waved goodbye, quickly slipping it out of the door.

………………………………………

_**July 10th**__**h**__**, 1945- Zell Am See, Austria**_

"Nice show last night, ladies," Harry said, lifting his coffee cup in acknowledgement as Annie and Roseanna, breakfast plates in hand, made their way to an empty table in the dining hall. Smiling politely at him, they continued on and took their seats.

"See," Annie smiled, cutting into a piece of her bread and grimacing slightly. "I told you we'd get away with it."

Roseanna clucked her tongue, pouring herself a glass of water and thinking back to the previous night. Running out of things to do to entertain the men, the movie reel they'd planned to show had chewed itself up in the machine, leaving them at odds. Panicked, Roseanna put on some records and the evening had turned into a bit of a singsong, leaving everyone in mostly high spirits. "We got lucky, really lucky. We're running out of stuff to do, _badly_."

"Well, the jeep from the USO should be here any day now," Annie replied, frowning.

"Morning, ladies," A voice said, sliding into the chair next to Roseanna. The looked over to see Nix, taking his jacket off as he set his plate down. "Damn it's hot out today."

"Complaining?" Roseanna raised her eyebrows.

"Hell no," He said, laughing amusedly. "How is the new office working out for you, ladies?"

"Very useful," Annie mused. "One thing, though. In my office back in New York my desk faces the window. Facing the sunshine helps me think, except the desk is so heavy. I've tried moving it by myself but I just can't. Got time to lend a hand?"

Nix's mouth dropped open, looking incredulously at Roseanna before shooting Annie a flirtatious look. "Who? Me? Did you hear that, Roseanna? I'm a Captain, for…pete's sake."

"How dare she," Roseanna joked, rolling her eyes.

"Where's your wingman?" Annie asked, shaking her head and shooting him a little smile.

"Where is he always?" He replied, shooting a compassionate look at Roseanna. "Damn typewriter, huh?"

"Mmm hmmm," Roseanna said, swallowing a mouthful of water.

"He's beating himself up too, because he misplaced some paperwork and was slightly late with a deadline," Nix said, causing Roseanna to freeze as he cast a glance to Annie's empty water glass. "Want me to refill that?"

"Would you?" Annie, who cast a suspicious look at Roseanna, smiled sweetly at him.

He picked up her glass. "With pleasure. No water in the jug, damn. Excuse me a minute."

When they were alone Annie leaned forward, hissing at Roseanna. "I thought you said you were going to return that form."

Roseanna's eyes darted around nervously. "Well, that _was_ the plan. That man's office is like a fortress!"

Annie opened her mouth to speak but stopped as Nix returned to the table, full water jug in hand. He himself was distracted as he sat down by the sight of Dick walking over to the table. "Speak of the devil?"

"Speaking about me?" Dick asked anxiously, his eyes meeting Roseanna's as put his hands on the back of an empty chair.

"All good things, Major," Annie smiled reassuringly, clasping her hands together, casting an amused glances at the other two. "What brings you here from your paperwork?"

The gentle mockery went over Dick's head, as he cleared his throat. Sorry to interrupt, but there's a jeep on it's way in with a USO logo on side."

………………………………………

Roseanna and Annie hotfooted it over to the truck that was reversing up to the door, standing side-by-side as it parked and a young man jumped out with ease. He looked at both of them. "Miss Wilkes?"

"That's me," Annie stepped forward, adopting her official, matter-of-fact, business tone. "Lionel Bridges? We spoke on the phone?"

"That would be my boss, ma'am," He smiled bashfully at her. "I'm just the messenger."

"Well, thanks for coming all the same," Annie replied as she watched him open up the back of the truck, lifting out boxes and placing them at their feet.

Roseanna wasted no time in bending down to open them, smiling happily as the first one revealed a large collection of film reels. "Are these recent?"

He clucked his tongue, lifting down another box. "Some of 'em. Others date back to the early thirties I'm afraid, best we could get our hands on. Not made of money at the USO."

"Don't worry," She waved a hand at him dismissively as her eyes darted around the contents, identifying the titles on each reel. "I'm sure these men will take whatever they can get, the boredom around here is _that_ bad."

"Hey what's this?" Annie's voice piped up excitedly from nearby where she was exploring another of the boxes. She pulled out a long box, scrutinizing the name on the front before exclaiming. "Wow, Monopoly!"

"Really?" Roseanna piped up, moving over to beside Annie, her curiosity piqued. It was indeed a game of monopoly. "Where did you find this?"

He stopped unloading boxes for a moment to look at them. "I actually picked that one up en route here. Ran into a troupe of British aid workers from the Red Cross who were on their way back to France to get a boat home. Told them where I was headed and they gave me that, figured they wanted to lighten their load for the journey."

"Because monopoly weighs so much," Annie laughed, rolling her eyes as she opened the box. "It's not missing any parts, is it?"

His eyes lit up excitedly as he pointed at it. "Well no, but take a look see inside."

Frowning, Roseanna lifted the board out and set it on the floor. She raised her eyes at what she saw scattered around the box, hiding under the monopoly money and pieces. She could see a small chisel, a compass, some foreign currency that she didn't recognise (probably German, she supposed) and a thin, rolled up piece of paper that she rolled out to discover was a map. She frowned at the driver. "What is all this?"

"Turns out the British Secret Service had the manufacturers of Monopoly make a number of these special editions filled with all this stuff specially for them boys stuck out there in German POW camps, figurin' they might be able to escape. Clever, aint it? The fella with the Red Cross said this one didn't get delivered."

"Wow," Annie whistled, tucking everything back into the box neatly. "That's impressive. Wait'll these boys learn they're playing with a piece of history."

"Well," He sighed, loading down the last box and standing to face the two of them one last time, hands on his hips. "I was tempted to take it for myself but I figured, what the hell, these men probably need it more than I do."

"You're right about that," Annie nodded.

"Well, Ms Wilkes, if you could just sign here I'll be on my way," He said, holding a form to Annie. "Oh and a regimental photographer will be around in a few weeks to take some pictures, for the newspapers back home."

Annie signed it, both of the girls waving him goodbye as he mounted his truck and drove off again slowly. When he was gone, they began to explore the rest of the contents of the boxes. Roseanna opened one to reveal a pile of books. She hoped there were some enthusiastic readers amongst the men and wondered if she might be able to persuade Dick to put up some shelves for her in their store room to make a small library. She moved to another box, noticing a dartboard lying on the top. She smiled, holding it up. "Say, do you suppose the USO passed by an English pub on the way?"

"Oh, yes! Thank you, Lord," Annie's voice, ignoring what Roseanna had just said, rang out from nearby, grabbing her attention. "I was hoping they'd send us one of these."

Roseanna looked over to see her brandishing a baseball bat, gripping the handle almost expertly. "A baseball bat?"

"Of course," Annie nodded, looking over at her. "What better controlled activity is there than America's pastime? It's a hit with everyone. I'm sure there's gotta be an open space around here we can turn into a diamond to get some games organised."

Roseanna squinted as she looked at the actual bat, taking it from Annie and frowning as she looked more closely at it. "Wow, this thing looks pretty well worn…and these look like signatures. Where in the hell do you suppose they got this?"

"No idea," Annie shook her head, taking it back and pretending to swing. "Don't care though, long as we have it."

………………………………

Late that afternoon, whilst Annie enlisted the help of Lew to scour the surrounding area for a potential location for a makeshift baseball diamond, Roseanna found herself leaning against Dick's office door frame, watching him sitting at his desk through the glass pane, engrossed at his typewriter. The notion to knock had crossed her mind but, frankly, she was enjoying just watching him for the moment, watching the dedication in his brow, the way he lightly bit his lower lip in concentration.

"Are you going to come in or just stand there all day?" He called out, mid-typing, not looking up at her until he'd finished his line.

She jumped at his voice, her cheeks flushing with colour as she tentatively opened the door, stepping inside. "Just so you know, I'd just arrived there."

He leaned back in his chair, flashing her a smile. "Of course you did. What can I do for you?"

"Well," She said, the tip of her shoe nervously making circles shapes on the carpet. "I'm looking for somewhere to store the film reels that came in with the delivery and I remembered you said something about a cupboard. I couldn't find it, though."

"Just as well," He said, standing up and taking a key from his drawer, holding it up to show her. "You'd need this."

Leading her down the corridor, Dick stopped outside of the particular cupboard which was disguised a bit too well into the mahogany panelling of the wall. He put the key in, giving it a firm tug. The door sprang open, revealing a shelf full of reels and three empty shelves below it. He turned back to her, holding it to her. "Take care of this."

"Is that an order?" She laughed, taking it off of him and slipping it into her pocket, making a mental note to find a safe place for it.

"More like a request," He chuckled, looking down at her box of films on the floor. "Do you need a hand?"

"No, I can handle the rest," She shook her head. "I don't want to distract you any more."

"Well in this particular case I didn't mind all that much," He said, nodding politely as he made his way back down the corridor. He stopped, turning back. "So what sort of things arrived for you ladies today?"

"Oh," She made a grand gesture with her hand. "_All_ sorts of things. Films, music, games, books…."

"My, my," He raised his eyebrows. "These men are going to think this is some kind of holiday camp."

"Oh, don't worry," She said, finding the gumption somewhere inside of her to wink at him slightly, before laughing and joking. "They won't get to play until they've done all of their chores…."

"I trust you," He said, nodding his goodbye at her, before vanishing down the corridor.

Still feeling the butterflies in her stomach as she turned back the cupboard, she decided to move some of these news reels on the top shelf closer together to make some more space. As she moved them, she noted each of the dates and titles, stopping in her tracks at one. She took it down, studying it more closely: _News Reel: Pacific Campaign_. Her mind began to race as it made her think of the transfer form that was still lying in her bag. Acting quickly before talking herself out of it, she leaned down and put it into her bag, casting a nervous look around first to make sure that the coast was clear. It was, after all, property of the US military. Clearing her throat, she began to put the new film reels onto the empty shelves.

……………………………….

_**July 11**__**th**__**, 1945- 12.30 a.m.- Zell Am See**_

Roseanna looked around the corner, making sure the coast was clear before signalling back to Annie that it was okay for her to follow her. Quietly, the two of them tiptoed into the empty Officers' mess hall, turning on the light and closing the door securely behind them. The hotel was silent in the dead of night, or early morning, rather.

"Make sure no one comes," Roseanna said, casting a look back at Annie, as she made her way up to the front of the room, quickly setting the projector up.

Annie rubbed her eyes blearily, groaning. "I can't believe I let you talk me into this."

"We couldn't sleep," Roseanna shrugged her shoulder. "Besides, I need to see this."

"_We_ couldn't sleep?" Annie raised her eyes, shaking her head, annoyed. "_I_ was asleep ten minutes ago before you woke me up!"

"Then you can call me indebted to you," She rolled her eyes, clicking the last bit of machinery into place and then taking the pacific news reel from her bag, placing it gently into the projector. "Get the lights, will you?"

Annie turned the light switch off, casting the whole room into darkness. "This is going to be too loud. It'll wake the whole place."

"It'll be fine," Roseanna said, doubting her own words as the reel began to play.

As the images of battles and warfare in the pacific displayed themselves onto the large screen, both girls fell silent as they watched, dumbfounded, oblivious even to the sound of the commentator. They watched scenes of battles, airplanes falling, soldiers running through forestry. Roseanna felt her stomach lurch. Eventually, she looked over to Annie. "My God."

Annie shuddered, her eyes continuing to watch the screen. "And Dick's really eager to hotfoot it over there?"

"Apparently," She shrugged, biting her lip as she looked down.

"It looks like suicide, to me," Annie shook her head disbelievingly. "What is that, the soldier mentality?"

Roseanna didn't answer, just looked down, sighing. She knew why he felt the need to go there, but it didn't make her happy about it. She'd much rather he just ride the summer out with everyone at the hotel until it was time for them all to go back to the United States. She opened her mouth to speak but stopped, her head whipping round to the door as she heard someone enter. Her mouth dropped open as she saw that it was Dick, his shirt scarcely buttoned up as though it had been thrown on hastily.

"What's the racket? My room is right above thi…," He stopped, seeing that it was the two of them, casting his eyes over to the screen, where the images of conflict continued to flicker. "What are you watching?"


	24. Chapter 24 Roseanna's in a BAD mood

**Falling Star Chapter 24**

Hi,

I'm away this weekend on a little weekend break so I didn't get to finish this chapter (it's supposed to be twice this size) but I thought I'd split it so you all had some of it to read for the weekend. So I've just split the chapter into two and I'll have the next part up ASAP. Roseanna's in a bit of a bad mood in this chapter and gets herself into a bit of trouble, oh dear. I needed her to get emotional though, so that she'd be provoked into confronting Dick. Hope you enjoy this little chapter anyway. Have a good weekend, everybody!

……………………………

Dick looked back and forth between each girl and the screen, waiting for an answer, Roseanna's gave him a deer-caught-in-the-headlights look, unable to give a coherent response and merely mumbling inaudibly at him. Annie cleared her throat and took a step forward, putting a hand on Roseanna's arm as she adopted her most official tone.

"Oh, you know how it is! We couldn't sleep, so we thought we'd catch up on some of the news," Annie explained, indicating to the screen, clapping her hands together. "But seeing as we've woken you, we'll just pack up and head back to bed."

As Annie busied herself in packing the projector away, Roseanna lingered near the door next to Dick, an awkward look on her face.

Dick couldn't fail to notice It, leaning forward and whispering. "Why do you look so flustered?"

She looked down, playing nervously with her index finger. She motioned to the screen with a slight jerk of her head. "It's just hard to watch, that's all. It looks so brutal out there."

"Yeah," He sighed, sighing and jamming his hands together as he leaned against the wall. "Yeah it does."

She paused for a moment, waiting for him to make his revelation. What better opportunity was there for him to tell her than at this point, with the news reel in the background. She studied his face expectantly, waiting for him to tell her the truth about his transfer. He didn't though, returned her stare with a slight, polite smile on his lips. She pursed her lips together, looking down. She could feel an anger beginning to boil up inside, rising up every inch of her body. She clenched her fists together by her side, knowing that shortly it'd reach her mouth, and she wouldn't be able to control her words. Yes, there it was. She looked at him, folding her arms and shaking her head at him. "…and yet you're goin' out there."

He visibly stiffened, dumbstruck. "Who…who told you that? Did Nix tell Annie that we both applied for a transfer?"

"_What_?" Annie's voice piped up from nearby, where she was so shocked at that particularly news that she tripped over the projector, landing flat on the ground.

Shaking her head disappointedly at Dick, Roseanna crossed the room, helping her friend to her feet. Leading her towards the door, she reached into her bag, producing the form which she held up in front of him. "No, Dick. I knew because of this. You could've said something to me, Dick. Come on, Annie."

The girls shuffled out without casting a look back, leaving Dick standing alone, mouth open as he stared down at his form, trying to work out what had actually just happened.

…………………………..

_**July12th, 1945- Zell Am See **_

Two evenings later, Roseanna sat at the back of the mess hall, slumped in a chair with her face like a wet weekend as everyone around her watched the movie playing out on the screen in front of them. The mood of the whole room was downbeat and silent. She couldn't be accused of spreading her bad mood, as that particularly atmosphere had permeated itself through the untimely death of a Private Janovec. She hadn't known him, personally, as he'd been a "replacement", but she felt sorry for him all the same. The war in Europe was finished. No one should've been dying now. In an untimely accident too, it was tragic. Selfishly though, it made her even angrier, reinforced her somewhat selfish anger at Dick, to be reminded of death. Spotting her from nearby, Annie wandered over, sitting tensely on the seat beside her. Roseanna had barely even noticed her present.

Keeping a smile on her face, Annie leaned in closer. "You know, I could use a hand. These fellas are really down in the dumps tonight. They could do with a little cheering up."

"Couldn't we all," Roseanna said pointedly, rolling her eyes.

Annie sighed deeply. "You still haven't spoken to him?"

"No," She shook her head, sitting awkwardly in her chair. "He tried to speak to me at dinner last night but I couldn't…I just couldn't."

"Wow," Annie whistled. "You are _really_ angry about this. I don't understand. Well, I _do_ understand but surely you know that he was just trying to protect you?"

"I _know_ that, but I can't help it. I'm just so angry at him. I would've expected him to tell me, to trust me with his information. Besides, how can you side with him? Haven't you spoken to Lew? He lied to you to?"

Annie shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "Lew didn't lie to you, neither did Dick for that matter. He just didn't tell me. I don't hold it against him, I haven't known him long enough to have any kind of objection to it. I'd rather he didn't go, obviously, but I can't stop him."

"Well, personally, I feel annoyed. We were standing there, the pacific news reel playing, and he wouldn't even tell me. It was the perfect opportunity for him!" Roseanna said, taking a deep sigh and looking down. "I don't know, I can't explain how I feel. Perhaps it's just that time of the month or something."

"Well whatever it is," Annie said warningly, standing up. "Put a smile on your face, will you? Give these poor men somethin' to smile about at least."

She watched Annie walk off to mingle with the men and ask if they were alright and whether they were enjoying the movie. Roseanna sighed, she knew had to cheer up but she couldn't bring herself to. She tried to concentrate on Bette Davis onscreen, but she just couldn't.

"Psssst," someone hissed in the row in front of her. It was Floyd. "Mind if I sit there?"

She looked at the empty seat next to her and then back at him. "Actually, Floyd, I…."

"Great," He said, ignoring her and hopping over the chair to sit beside her. He looked at her. "Why the face? I didn't know you knew him that well."

"Who?" She asked, distractedly.

"Janovec," He replied quietly, biting his lower lip.

"Oh," She said, sitting up straight as she snapped back to earth. "I…I didn't really know him actually. I'm sorry for the loss, though. Such a terrible tragedy."

"Tell me about it," He said, lightly scratching his knee as he looked around him. "The fellas seem to be taking it quite badly."

"I…I know," She said, wrapping her arms further around her. "I don't think they're enjoying the film much."

"Just a little hard to concentrate right now is all," He said, noticing her action. "Want my coat?"

"No thank you," She shook her head tersely.

He leaned back in his chair, stretching his feet as he put an arm lightly around the back of her chair. "You know it's funny, I was really sad when I heard about Janovec. Poor Bastard. But, you see, when I heard…all I wanted to do was come see you. Being near you seems to cheer me up."

"Floyd, _please!"_ She cried out, feeling his arm lightly grazing her back, she felt her anger boiling to the surface again. This attracted some attention from those sitting nearby but she, reddening, offered them a smile to show that everything was okay. She turned back to him, whispering in a hiss. "Would you _please_ stop being so clingy?"

Taken aback by her reaction, he stiffened in his chair, sitting back uncomfortably. He held his hands up lightly in the air to show that he was taking a step back. "Sorry. I, um…I didn't mean to…."

She felt instantly terrible. She had no right to take her bad mood out on him. She put her hands over her face, shaking her head. "Oh, Floyd. I'm _so_ sorry. I didn't mean any of that, I'm just…. I'm just having a bad day."

"That's alright," He shrugged, still unable to meet her gaze.

"Everything is getting on top of me a little here," She said, tugging at the neck of her blouse as though it were too hot and crowded in the room. "Could we…could we go somewhere a little cooler?"

"Um, sure," He said, frowning at her erratic behaviour. He gently took her lower arm, leading her out of the packed mess hall. Once outside, he set her down on a bench, hidden underneath the staircase and out of sight. "Feel better?"

She leaned her head back against the wooden panelling, taking in the cool air amidst gulps of air. "Yes, thanks. I really am sorry, Floyd. You didn't deserve that."

He waved a hand dismissively at her. "Don't worry about that. I live in a house of women back home. I know how you get sometimes."

"How we get sometimes?" She echoed, unable to suppress a laugh. "Oh, Floyd. You always _almost_ manage a compliment or sympathetic statement."

"What did I say?" He asked, confused, scratching his head.

"Nothing," She shook her head, smiling. "Don't worry about it."

"Well, at least you have a smile on your face," He shrugged. "So I musta done something right."

"I _do_ feel a little better actually," She had to admit.

"So what's the problem anyway?" He quizzed her. "Is it _really_ just a bad mood?"

"It's…well, it's…," She began to explain, but stopped, sighing. "Yeah, just a bad mood."

"Fair enough, I won't ask anymore," He gave her a knowing smile.

She took a deep breath, leaning her head back against the wooden panelling and closing her eyes. "You know what I could really use, Floyd?"

"What's that?"

"A drink," She said, almost whispering.

"Couldn't we all," He said, a smile playing on his lips.

"I don't suppose you…," She said, hesitantly.

"I do actually happen to have a bottle left from Germany," He said drumming his fingers on the wooden bench. "Interested."

"Very much so," She said, giving him an appreciative smile.

……………………….

"For the lady," Floyd's voice rang out.

Roseanna saw a bottle appear in front of her eyes, which she reached out and grabbed, studying the label. She clucked her tongue. "Now, I don't claim to speak German, but I think I can safely assume that Gin means the same in both languages?"

"Certainly tastes like it," He laughed, sitting back down with her, watching as she began to unscrew the bottle top. "Let me go get you a glass."

"No need," She shook her head, bringing the bottle directly to her lips, taking a long swig.

"Wow," He whistled. "Thirsty."

"Something like that," She said, offering him the bottle.

He shook his head. "I'd better not. I'm on duty later."

"Oh," She grimaced. "But you don't mind if I…."

"No," He shook his head, motioning to the bottle. "By all means, knock yourself out."

"Why, thank you," She said, her eyes rolling to the sky as she tipped her head back for another sip.

"If I may observe, Miss Caine," He said jokingly, watching her drink. "First week on the job and you're already shirking your duties to drink."

"Don't tell anyone," She winked at him, already feeling the alcohol take away her inhibitions.

"I won't," He shook his head. "But I think you've been doing a great job since you decided to stay. No one seems to be slouching around at night anymore with nothin' to do."

"Well, we…t-try," She slurred. "Have to make sure you're having fun in this great place…when you're off-duty, of course."

"Yes, ma'am," He smiled.

"You like it here, don't you?" She asked. "In Austria, I mean."

"Of course," He nodded. "Where else would you find a more beautiful location.

She slapped her hand off of the bench in agreement. "See! That's what I think too! Why would anyone want to leave this place. Especially you soldiers who've paid their dues!"

"Uh, right," He smiled nervously along with her, not fully understanding her rant but becoming increasingly concerned at the rate in which she was necking the alcohol. He reached out and tentatively put a hand on the bottle. "Take it easy."

She ignore his last comment, yanking the bottle away. She was beginning to feel light-headed. "That's what I like about you Floyd. You're not trying to go away anywhere and be a hero. You're just happy to stay here…with me."

His eyes lit up. "Of course I am!"

She put a hand out and clumsily patted his cheek twice, making a slapping noise each time. "Such a sweet man, such a sweet man."

"Nice of you to say," He said, frowning at her. He bit his lip, knowing she was well on her way to drunkenness. He held his hand out for the bottle again. "Why don't you let me have a go on that?"

"Hey," Her eyes lit up as she handed it to him. "Let's go away somewhere! Let's do something outrageous!"

"Like what?" He asked, squinting at her.

"Let's…go swimming!" She said, racking her brain for an activity. "I'll go get my suit!"

"Woah, woah, woah," He said, gently grabbing hold of her wrists as she began to stand, forcing her to sit back down. He cleared his throat, desperate to reign her in whilst fighting his desire. "Whilst that _would_ be a dream come true for me, I can't. I'm on duty later, like I said. Besides, I think it might be a good idea for you to go to bed, you know, sleep that off before it _really_ kicks in."

She wrinkled her nose, her freshly intoxicated brain trying to process his words. "But…but I don't want to go to bed. I want to do something! I thought you wanted to spend more time with me!"

"I did!" He protested, his hands still holding her gently by the wrists. "I do! But you're in no fit state."

She groaned, shaking her head as she released her wrists. "Urgh, you men! You're all so boring and by-the-book!"

Grabbing the bottle from the bench, she took to her feet and made for the door, pushing it open and running into the night air.

Floyd ran to the door behind her, squinting against the darkness, desperately trying to see which direction she'd gone in. He couldn't see anything. "Shit."

……………………………….

Roseanna stumbled through the forest, holding her hands out to steady herself against the tree trunks as she slowly made her way through. Eventually, she came to the clearing, the sight of the vast expanse of water appearing before her eyes. It was the spot where Dick had suggested she go swimming. She leaned against a tree, looking out into the water. It was so beautiful, the moonlight glinting off of it, making it glitter like diamonds. She sat down on the wall be the side of the water, taking off her shoes and dipping her toes in, enjoying the cool feeling against her toes. She decided that she'd go for a swim, and began undoing the top buttons of her blouse. She suppressed a yawn. Maybe first she'd just lie down along the wall for a second and rest her eyes.

………………………….

_**July 13**__**th**__**, 1945- Zell Am See**_

Roseanna opened one eye, the light instantly attacking her cornea and making her groan and cover her face. She covered her eyes and let them slowly adjust to the light as she sat up in bed. Yes, she realised she was lying in her bed. She slowly sat up, clutching a hand to her head.

"Sore head?" Dick's voice rang out.

Roseanna gasped, in surprise, at his voice, looking over to see that he'd been sitting in the armchair by her bed. Her heart instantly melted at the sight of him sitting vigil by the side of her bed. She cleared her throat. "What, erm…what happened?"

"It seems you had a bit too much to drink," He said softly, sitting forward in his chair.

"Wha…," She stopped, everything flooding back to her from the night before. She covered her face with her hands. "Oh…oh I did, didn't I? Oh, I am _so_ sorry. How did I get here?"

"Sergeant Talbert came to find me. He told me that you'd had too much to drink and taken off. He said that he couldn't find you," Dick explained, a flash of annoyance on his face that she wasn't used to seeing.

"Oh my…I did, didn't I?" She frowned, feeling extremely ashamed.

Dick smoothed out his tie, distractedly. "I'll have to talk to Sergeant Talbert about his involvement in all of this. I haven't found out where the alcohol came from."

She waved her hands in protest, lying. "No, No, No. Don't do that. It wasn't his fault. I, erm…I found the bottle in his room and took it. He tried to help me."

"Alright," He said, looking away. "If you say so. I should let you get a little more sleep."

Nodding politely at her, he began to walk towards the door. She shouted him to come back. "Dick!"

"Yes?"

"How did I get back here?" She asked, scratching her head.

"I found you sleeping by the water," He explained, looking her in the eye. "Dangerous move."

"Gosh, Dick," She said, sitting up straighter in her bed. "I feel so bad about everything that I…. I have a lot to apologise for, if you'll let me."

"You don't have to apologise for anything right now," He said, giving her a compassionate look. "We'll talk a little later."

"Okay," She said quietly. "Thanks, Dick."

He opened the door.

"Dick!"

"Yes?"

She bit her lip. "So…so why did you stay?"

"Because you asked me to."


	25. Chapter 25 Consequences

**Falling Star Chapter 25**

……………………………………

_**July 13**__**th**__**, 1945 (**__Same Day__**)- Zell Am See**_

Groaning, Roseanna lay on her bed, her head feeling like a dead weight. Dick had just left, and she couldn't believe he'd seen her in this state. She was trying her damnedest not to think about it.

"Oh my…," Annie clucked her tongue, entering the room, abruptly closing the door behind her and causing Roseanna to sit up very slowly, her pale face on display. "Look at the _state_ of you!"

Roseanna didn't respond, just momentarily blinked in Annie's general direction.

"You'd better take this in case you have to vomit," Annie sad, shaking her head, grabbing a large bowl from the side table, placing it in Roseanna's arms. She patted Roseanna's back twice in comfort, but, having the opposite effect, the motion made her throw up into the bucket. Annie jumped back, grimacing. "Oh, that's attractive."

Again, Roseanna couldn't respond. She merely waited until she was sure she wasn't going to be sick again, wiped her mouth with a nearby cloth, and turned to face Annie. "You'll tell me the truth, won't you? Did I _really_ pass out down by the water?"

"Um…yeah," Annie bit her lip, looking down.

Pausing a moment to take in the horrible truth, Roseanna continued. "And Dick _really_ had to carry me home?"

"Um…yeah,"

"Oh my God, I'm so ashamed," She sighed, her head falling into her hands.

Rubbing her back more gently this time, Annie tried to ease her friend's worries. "Don't worry about it. Dick was really worried about you, actually. He must have been out looking for you for a good hour."

She raised her eyebrows. "Really?"

"_Really_," Annie confirmed, smiling. "You should go and talk to him."

"I will," Roseanna nodded slowly, her head lying down on the pillow again. "When the pain subsides."

Slumping down on the bed, Annie let our her authoritarian rant. "What were you thinking? Drinking like that! You know what a quick drunk you are!"

"I know, I know," She said, her head still firmly in her hands, trying to shut out the light. "I was just having such a lousy day. Argh, that's the second time he's had to deal with me drunk!"

"At least you didn't try and kiss him this time," Annie joked, her smile slowly fading into a worried look. "…you didn't, right?"

Roseanna's eyes sprang open momentarily in panic. "Oh God, I hope not!"

"I'm sure you didn't," Annie said, trying to sound reassuring but not really feeling it within.

………………………………..

_**July 14**__**th**__**, 1945- Zell Am See**_

Watching the freshly broken sun on the horizon, Roseanna wiggled her toes in and out of the water at silly o'clock in the morning (around 6 a.m, most likely). Sitting on that same wall on which she'd passed out, she knew she should be ashamed to be there again so soon and, whilst part of that was true, she couldn't help but feel comforted by how peaceful it was in the midst of those surroundings.

"Can't stay away from this place, can you?" Dick's voice rang out behind her, causing her to stand up and promptly face him. She opened her mouth to speak but had to stop for a moment, distracted by the sight of him in his PT shorts and white t-shirt, a towel gripped lightly between his fingers. He seemed to notice her wandering eyes and, on reflex, allowed the towel to dangle slightly lower, covering more of her legs.

"I came to see you, actually," She said, snapping back to earth, running a hand through her hair, which hung loose around her shoulders. "I figured you'd come for a swim on a beautiful day like this."

"How are you feeling?" He asked, meeting her eyes, though there was still a considerable gap between them.

"Embarrassed," She said, digging the tip of her shoe nervously into the dirt. "…but better."

"Don't worry," Dick joked, trying to ease her evident awkwardness. "I'm getting used to seeing you under the effects of alcohol."

"Twice, Dick," She said, crossing her arms as she suppressed a laugh. "You've seen me drunk _twice_."

He merely smiled at her comment, sitting down on the nearby wall, beginning to undo his shoes in preparation for his swim. He cast a playful look in her direction. "So…thievery _and_ drinking. You're ticking all of the boxes, huh?"

"Argh, I'm sorry," She said, covering her face with her hands, embarrassed. "I can explain."

"It's alright, you don't have…," He held up his hands dismissively.

"No, I do," She shook her head in protest, sitting next to him, but still careful to keep a slight gap between each other, not wanting to invade his personal space. "That day when I was typing for you in your office, you went to answer a telephone call and I happened to come across that transfer form."

"And you decided you want a copy," He asked, drumming his fingers lightly off of his bare knee, hoping he wasn't conveying annoyance towards her, because he genuinely didn't feel any.

"To add to my collection," She said sarcastically, taking a deep sigh and biting her lip nervously. "No. To tell you the truth, Dick…it made me really sad, seeing that form."

"Why?" He asked, confused, frowning.

She met his gaze fleetingly before looking away timidly. "The thought of you leaving…made me sad. Then I started thinking about the Pacific and the state of things out there…which made me worried for you. I know, I was an idiot, but I was just worried for you…and for myself to have to be in this beautiful place without you and I just thought, stupidly, that if I could get rid of the form then I could get rid of the problem."

He paused at her revelation, unable to look at her and unable to summon any words.

"Well say something, for Goodness sake," She said, desperate to lift the heavy air that hung between the two of them. "You're making me nervous here."

He cleared his throat nervously, clapping his hands together. "Well, then you'll be happy when I tell you that I'm not going anywhere for the foreseeable future."

She raised her eyebrows. "You're not?"

"That's what the man in charge says," He says, summoning a smile for a second, before his expression returned to neutral.

"Brilliant!" She exclaimed, her face lighting up for a moment, before pausing, frowning at him. "I'm sorry. Did you really want to go?"

He mulled it over for a second, finally pursing and shaking his head. "It's not so much that I wanted to go there, I'm just not good at sitting around and doing nothing."

"Well, that's why you have Annie and I," She said, attempting a joke to cheer him up. He smiled at her, his eyes sparkling.

"So," She said, playing with her fingertips. "You're not really mad at me, then?"

"No," He said, reaching out unexpectedly and placing a hand gently on her bare forearm, sending a crackling of electricity jolting through her body. "I like that you care about me, and you being here definitely softens the blow."

She felt momentarily lost in his eyes, overcome by a sudden freedom of speech. "I _do_ care about you, Dick. I still care about you a lot."

They merely smiled at each other, a slightly awkward atmosphere settling between them as both were too timid to be upfront about their feelings, but nonetheless happy with the meagre admission of affection. She stood up, awkwardly clasping her hands together. "Well, I should really leave you to your swim."

A few footsteps up the track and she turned back. "Say, Dick. I don't suppose the Colonel _needs_ to know about my little drunken escapade?"

He flashed her a smile. "Not this time, no."

………………………………………

That evening, Roseanna walked sheepishly into the room that they'd begun to use as an _Entertainment Room_. It was becoming too much of a hassle to the mess officers for them to keep using the mess hall, when they were barely just tolerant of them watching movies in there. As a result, Annie had procured another room for them to use for their organised activities. It was perfect, a medium sized room, with a private room at the back. She looked around, where soldiers were doing various activities. She wondered if they'd all heard about her drunken experience. Keeping her head down, she wandered to the back of the room where Annie, motioning at the board in front of her, was in the process of setting up a darts game with Luz and Babe. They smiled as she walked over.

"Hey, look who it is," George exclaimed, shuffling over to make room for her. "True what they're saying about you last night?"

She shot Annie a look.

"I didn't say a word," She cried, holding her hands up in protest, Babe swooping low as the darts in her hand missed his ear by less than an inch.

"Mmm hmmm," Roseanna shook her head disbelievingly.

"Nah, honestly," Babe reassured her, taking the darts off of Annie for his own safety. "Word just gets around in this place."

"How nice," She said, dryly, clearing her throat. "Yes, I had a little experience with alcohol but let's just leave it at that. So, darts?"

"Can you play?" George asked, taking a dart from Babe and holding it out to her.

She pushed his hand back at him. "No, I can't play."

"Oh come on," He said, thrusting it back. "Anyone can throw a dart."

Reluctantly she took it from his hand. She threw it towards the dartboard, which it missed completely, landing on the floor.

George's eyes followed it all the way to the floor, a blank look on his face as he looked back at her. "You're in Babe's team."

"Hey, why do I have to get stuck with…," Babe began but stopped, embarrassed, when he caught her eye. "Sorry. I didn't mean…well, y'know."

"Now, now," Annie said, picking up the fallen dart. She threw it herself at the dartboard, scoring a perfect bullseye.

"Wow," George whistled, clapping her affectionately on the back. "Where'd you learn that?"

Annie laughed, pointing at Roseanna. "I had to fill my time whilst she was doing her makeup backstage!"

"Welcome to the team," George beamed, putting an arm around her shoulder.

Laughing as she watched, Roseanna suddenly fell quiet, distracted by the sight of Floyd entering the mess hall. Their eyes instantly met, Floyd offering her a polite smile before walking over to a stack of books in the corner, picking one up and slumping down in a chair. Roseanna turned back to the group, grimacing. "I suppose I need to make amends."

"Amends?" George echoed.

"I was drinking his alcohol," She explained, adding in a whisper. "I hope Dick didn't shout him down for that."

"Go talk to him," Annie said, nudging her in the back.

She turned back to Babe, offering him a jokey smile. "Can you handle the team by yourself?"

Babe suppressed a laugh. "Uh…_yeah_. I think I'll be just fine."

Rolling her eyes, she wandered over in Tab's direction. He seemed engrossed in the book, not even looking up at her as she approached. She bent down to look at the title, frowning to herself. "You like Lady Chatterley's Lover?"

He looked up, finally acknowledging her. He gripped the sides of the book harder. "Course I do?"

She cocked her head to the side. "…really?"

"I just told ya," He nodded. "Why?"

"Because…," She said, taking the book out of his hands. "You're reading it upside down."

He reddened, unable to stop a laugh from coming out. "Okay, you caught me."

"You ever actually read this?" She asked, tutting at him as she sat down in the chair opposite his.

He held up his hands. "Nope, never. Guess I'm a terrible liar. Is it any good?"

She leaned in closer to him, lowering her voice a little. "There's a lot of _sex_ in it."

"I'll take that," Perconte said, appearing suddenly behind her, whipping the book out of her hands and wandering off to a corner as she stared incredulously at him. She turned back to Floyd. "Not avoiding me were you?"

"Course not," He gave her a sympathetic smile. "I just didn't want to crowd you. I wasn't sure if you were feeling better."

"I am," She said, looking down ashamedly. "Thank you, by the way…thank you for everything that you did. I know it can't have been easy to have to go to Di- the Major and tell him what had happened."

"Yeah well," He said, flexing his fingers nonchalantly. "I was just worried about you after you took off. But well, I should thank you for not ratting on me about supplying you with the alcohol."

"It was the least I could do," She shook her head. "…after I was so mean to you the other night. I'm sorry, you didn't deserve that."

"Like I said the other night," He said, flashing her one of his charming, handsome smiles. "I grew up in a house of women. I know how it gets."

She blushed, smiling and avoiding his eye contact. "So…we're alright?"

"Of course we are," He reached out and patted her hand which lay on the table. "Besides, I like women who keep me on my toes."

Catching his eyes for a moment, she gently pulled her hand away, offering him a polite, smile. He was such an enigma to her. One minute he could be the most understanding, kind man who, at times, roused all of her sympathy and, yet, at other times he was just your typical soldier-cum-womanizer. She opened her mouth to respond, but was distracted by a commotion by the door. A young Private had come in and announced something to the room. Roseanna hadn't heard what it was but, whatever it was, it was causing a fuss in the room. George ran over to Floyd, bending down and whispering in his ear. For a second, Floyd's eyes caught hers, filling with panic. He stood up and ran with George out of the room, ran with all of the other until the room was near-empty, save for the two girls.

"What just happened?" Roseanna asked, looking over at Annie, confused.

"The young Private said that someone was shot," Annie said, her eyes wide with alarm.

………………………………………..

Around three hours later, Roseanna found herself still in the Entertainment Room, trying to clean up for about the third time since the room had emptied. She couldn't sleep, knowing that there was some sort of commotion going on, but wasn't willing to go and ask, in case she got in anyone's way. Annie, on the other hand, thoroughly fatigued from setting up the room in Roseanna's drunken absence, had no qualms in hitting the sack early, bidding Roseanna an early goodnight. Roseanna interspersed cleaning activities with peeking out of windows to try and catch a glimpse of what was going on. Nothing, save for the occasional soldier running between the hotel and one of the jeeps parked out front. Sighing, she closed the curtains, walking back into the rooms, duster in hand, humming to herself. Suddenly, she heard the most awful commotion coming from out in the corridor. She stood rooted to the spot, only reacting when she jumped back as the door burst open and almost all of Easy stormed into the room. She gave out a little yelp at the scene as she saw there was a man in the middle of their huddle.

"We need to find somewhere to hold this son of a bitch," Bull's voice drawled out amidst the rabble.

"There's a room in the back," Liebgott piped up, emerging from within the circle and walking over to the private door at the back, fitted with a glass window panel, trying the door knob only to find it was locked. He looked over at her. "Got a key for this?"

"What's…," She cleared her throat, casting a glance to the bloodied man being held in a vice gripe. "What's going on here?"

"Just open it," Joe repeated, giving her a sharp look.

She stood rooted to the spot, looking around for support from someone else in the group.

"Do it, Roseanna," Johnny Martin said, catching eyes with her and giving her pleading look. "…please."

She tentatively reached into her pocket, pulling out the key and handing it to him. "Do it yourself."

She watched, mouth agape, as Martin opened the door and they bundled the man into the back. As they all shuffled inside she noticed Tab lingering to the back, reaching out and grabbing his sleeve and hissing. "Floyd! What is happening here?"

He turned to face her, his face crestfallen, his eyes heavy. "Maybe you should go back to your room."

"What?" She echoed. "Why?"

"It might be better for you…," He bit his lip, nervously.

"Better for _me_?" She quizzed, raising an eyebrow. "Or better for _you_? Come here, come sit down."

"Alright," He said, letting her lead him over to an empty chair around a coffee table.

"Now, tell me! What the hell is going o-…," She stopped, gasping, as the first sounds of punches being thrown became audible. She stood up, clenching her fists in rage. "What are they doing to that man? Why I oughta…"

He reached out, grabbing her arm as she began to storm towards the private room. His voice was almost authoritative. "Don't get involved."

"Don't say that," She stamped her foot off of the ground. "I'm the one who'll likely have to clean up any blood spilled in there so tell me…what is this?"

He rubbed his eyes wearily, slumping in his chair and sighing heavily. He didn't have the strength to contest her anymore. "The man they took in there…shot Sergeant Grant?"

"Who?" She echoed, unfamiliar with the name.

"Sergeant Grant," He echoed. "Chuck. I'm not sure if you met him."

She put a hand to her mouth. "I don't think I did, but that's _awful_! Why did he shoot him? Is he alright?"

"I don't know," He shrugged helplessly. "And he was drunk as sin, that's why."

"Oh," She said, looking down at her feet, trying to block out the man's helpless wails from beyond the door. She could only imagine what they were doing to him back there to provoke those sorts of noises.

"I'll tell ya, you do _not_ wanna go in there," George said, appearing at the door and promptly clicking it behind him. He looked at Roseanna. "You alright?"

"I'm fine," She said, pulling up a chair for him to sit down on. When she had both men sitting front of her, she crossed her legs, leaning towards them in all seriousness. "So…what? We're just going to sit here until they beat that man to death?"

"They won't kill him," George said, matter-of-factly, taking out a cigarette and lighting it, joking. "What would be the fun in that?"

"George," Floyd said, warningly.

She looked at Floyd. His handsome face was clouded over in a way that she hadn't seen before, not even that night in the convent in Rachamps. She could see that this had all really affected him, but in what way she wasn't sure. She looked over at George who, in his abrupt silence, she could tell he'd noticed it too. She decided not to press the issue further, for fearing of sending him over the edge. She clapped her hands together, trying to lighten the mood, pulling a deck of cards from her skirt pocket. "Alright well, let's not just sit around and listen to _that_. Anyone for a game?"

"Sure," George nodded, looking at Floyd. "Whaddya say Tab?"

"Fine," He replied, distractedly.

Roseanna slowly began to shuffle the cards for Gin Rummy, a light game indeed but that was exactly what the situation called for at that moment in time. "So...did you get the Sergeant to the hospital?"

"Speirs went to try and find a…a head doctor," George explained, searching for the right words.

Tutting, Floyd gathered his cards up roughly. "Shouldn't have happened."

"What's that?" She asked, casting a worried glance in his direction.

"Nothing," He mumbled. "Just shouldn't have happened…not now. Not to Chuck."

"Chuck's been with Easy right from the beginning since we first trained together," George explained, leaning close and whispering to her. "A core man."

"Oh," She said, frowning as she gently scratched her chin. She cast a look at Floyd, seeing the situation in a more sympathetic light. Years together, she mused to herself, they must have been close. She could see the torment visibly etched on his face and her heart broke for him. Involuntarily, she put her cards down, reached across and took his hand, giving it a comforting stroke. He looked up into her eyes imploringly, taking some sort of comfort from them. George watched the scene with one eyebrow raised, his interest piqued.

"It'll be alright," She said, still looking into his eyes. "Stay positive."

He opened his mouth to reply but they all jumped in unison as the doors burst open and Speirs burst into the room.

"Where is he?!" Speirs demanded, looking back and forth at their faces, waiting for an answer.

"How's Grant?" Tab asked nervously.

Speirs didn't answer, merely demanded again. "Where is he?!"

Tab swallowed deeply, defeated, as he pointed to the door at the back. "In there."

Roseanna watched as George and Tab followed Speirs into the room. She didn't follow. It was none of her business. Instead, she merely sat as far into the opposite corner as she could, hands over her ears, trying to blot out the yelling and wailing that she could hear. After what seemed like an age, Speirs strode out, followed by the rest of Easy, who frogmarched the man out the same way they had frogmarched him in. Floyd walked out of the door, the last one left, standing at the door, watching them all leave together. Catching sight of Roseanna, hands firmly over her ears, he couldn't help but smile a little. He walked over to her, gently pulling her arms down from her ears. "What are you doing?"

"I thought Speirs was going to shoot him," She said, wide-eyed. "I didn't want to hear it."

"He didn't," Floyd said, patting her shoulder comfortingly as he sat next to her. "He was spared, for now. The Higher-ups can deal with that piece of…well, you know."

"And your friend?" She asked, curiously.

"Speirs said the doctor thinks he'll be fine," He said, flashing a relieved smile. "So that's something at least!"

"I told you it would be alright," She said, patting his hand with her own, flashing him a smile. As she tried to pull her hand away, his fingers interlocked with hers, keeping a gentle grip of them. Before she knew what was happening, his other hand had made it's way to her cheek, and his lips to her mouth, planting a gentle, tender kiss on her lips. She immediately pulled back, alarmed. She looked at him, frozen in shock, for a few seconds, his fingers still caressing her cheek.

"Ron, are you…," A voice suddenly came from the door, but stopped.

She looked up, seeing Dick's wide-eyed expression staring back at her. She immediately jumped back from Floyd, creating ample distance between them. It was too late though, she could only imagine what that must have looked like to Dick. Nervously looking over at him, she saw a slight pained expression on his face. It stayed there for merely seconds before glazing over into a neutral one.

"I was looking for Lieutenant Speirs," Dick said, monotonously, his voice faltering for a second. "I thought he'd be in here. It appears I was mistaken."

Just like that, he'd turned on his heel and exited as quick as he came in.

"Shit," Roseanna muttered to herself, her head leaning exasperatedly against the wooden panelling of the wall.

"Did I do something wrong?" Tab asked, obliviously.


	26. Chapter 26 Sizzled Serenade

**Falling Star Chapter 26**

………………………………

Hi! As promised, you are all in suspense no longer!! Well, I have dragged you all on for 26 chapters with minimal Dick/Roseanna so I think you're all owed some, haha! Hope you all enjoy this latest chapter! I have to thank you all so much for the kind reviews. You all say really nice things about this story and I really, really, really appreciate it and it drives me on to write each following chapter.

……………………………….

_**July 15**__**th**__**, 1945- Zell Am See**_

Squinting against the bright sun, Annie yawned as she put on her sunglasses, stretching out her legs along the length of the recliner chair. "Honestly, Roseanna, why are things never simple with you?"

"And what exactly does that mean?" Roseanna piped up from the other side of the balcony, clad in sunglasses herself, curled up into a wicker armchair.

Annie gestured dismissively with her hands. "Well, it's just…you know, you Caines. Always a drama."

"It's not my fault," She protested, sitting up in her chair, leaning her elbows against the armrests. "I didn't ask him to try and kiss me and I _certainly_ didn't plan for Dick to walk in at that exact moment."

Annie burst out laughing. "Okay, maybe you didn't plan for it, but you can't deny the drama follows the Caine family around, like bees to honey."

"Like flies to….," She sighed heavily. "…well you get the idea."

"Morning, ladies," Nix chirped, following a light knock at the balcony door. "Working hard I see."

"Excuse me," Annie tutted, absent-mindedly pouring herself a glass of water. "It's our morning off!"

"As opposed to which other mornings?" Nix asked, chucking as he sat himself down, slapping his hands off of his thighs. He raised his eyebrows at Annie, motioning to Roseanna, sitting grumpily in the corner, huddled up in a blanket despite the blistering heat. "Morning, Roseanna."

Roseanna grunted in response, pushing her sunglasses further up her nose with her index finger.

"Now, why is it…," Nix began. "that when I see Dick walking around with a face like thunder, I can be guaranteed _you'll_ have one, too?"

Annie, answering for her, clapped her hands together tactfully. "_Tiiiiny_ misunderstanding."

"Isn't it always a tiny misunderstanding between those two?" He asked, rolling his eyes.

Annie burst out laughing. "I _just_ said that before you came in! I swear, I literally said to her…."

"_Her_ has a name," Roseanna piped up. "And _Her_ is sitting right here. I mean _she_. I mean…I give up."

"So go on then," Nix cajoled her. "What is this tiny misunderstanding?"

"Well, I was sitting with Floyd and George last night, trying to comfort them after Sergeant Grant was shot," She began to explain. "How is he, by the way?"

"Made it through the night," Nix commented, biting his lip. "We'll have to wait and see, but the kraut doctor seems positive."

"That's something, at least," She nodded at him. "Anyway, Floyd got the wrong end of the stick and…thought it would be appropriate to kiss me. Dick, however, decided this would be a perfect time to walk in and get the wrong end of the stick, himself."

"Nice timing," Nix observed, an amused glint in his eye. "Would make a good plot for a movie."

"Tell me about it," She sighed. "I don't know how to make it right."

He looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "Why don't you just…explain the situation to him."

She shrugged her shoulder doubtingly. "I'm not so good with words."

"What? You?...a singer? A singer who went to college?" He asked, shaking his head at her.

"Let me rephrase that," She cleared her throat. "When it comes to that man, I'm not good at finding the words. So, explaining it to him works in theory…."

"Then why don't you explain it to him in your own way, with someone else's words," Annie piped up, sending her a look full of secret signals.

"Huh?" She asked, frowning.

Annie sighed. "Think about it…."

Roseanna's face lit up, taking off her sunglasses as she finally got the gist. "Oh, I see. I don't know, it's a little…corny."

"Perhaps," Annie smiled, as though the two girls were talking their own little language, evident by the confusion on Lew's face. "It's what you do, though."

"I suppose you're right," She said, biting her lip.

"Lew," Annie said, on all action stations. "We're showing a movie tonight, _Thousands Cheer_. Do you think you could arrange it to have Dick in the mess hall in time for the credits going up?"

"Probably,"

"Fantastic," Annie replied, standing up. "Get to it."

Nix laughed, taken aback by her sudden authoritativeness. "Could I, by any chance, be let in on this plan I've suddenly been implicated in?"

"No," She flashed him a smile. "…but you'll be rewarded in kind."

"I'll hold you to that, Annie," He said, winking at her.

……………………………………

"Knock, Knock," Nix said, knocking on the door to Dick's office, poking his head around, watching his friend sitting at his desk, cross-armed, staring off into space. "Busy day?"

Dick suddenly sprang into action upon his arrival, looking around for something to do, grabbing a sheet of paper and putting it into his typewriter. "What can I do for you, Nix?"

"Still at it?" Lew asked, disbelievingly. "It's going on 7 p.m.."

Dick merely looked at him and shrugged.

"Come on," Nix said, motioning for him to follow him. "They're showing a movie in the mess hall. Why don't you come watch it with me?"

"Who's in it?" Dick asked gruffly.

Nix scratched his chin in though. "Uhhh….Judy Garland, I think."

Dick wrinkled his nose, crossing his arms again. "I don't really care for her movies."

Lew gave him an amused smile. "Well you might be the only person who feels that way…well, except one. When did you become Otis Ferguson, anyway?"

"Who?"

"He was a…never mind," Nix shook his head. "Just come. It's a movie, for God's sake. It's supposed to entertain you, help you take a load off."

Dick shook his head, looking at him doubtfully. "I don't know. I've got a lot to do here."

"Like what?" Nix challenged.

"Well," Dick gestured around him. "Like…like…okay, fine. Let's go."

…………………………………

_**1 hour later**_

Annie bustled into the mess hall, trying to distinguish certain faces amongst the throng assembled, all watching the movie. As she waded further in, her head full of finding who she was looking for, she stopped suddenly at the sight of Nix and Dick sitting at the edge of one of the rows of chairs in the middle of the hall. She moved in closer to them, whispering. "Dick, you're here. Good."

He smiled politely at her as he noticed she was standing there. "Evening, Annie. Good? Why?"

She blushed, catching Nix's eye. "Oh, nothing. It's,erm…it's just good to see you out and about from that office of yours. Say, you don't know if there's a Eugene Roe in here tonight, do you?"

"Doc Roe?" Nix frowned at her. "He's sitting down the front there."

"Why, what's happened?" Dick asked, concerned.

Annie clapped her hands together, amicable smile on her face. "Oh, nothing. Nothing at all. Excuse me for just a moment, gentlemen."

Hoping she'd brushed that off well enough, Annie moved down the front, prompting groans from several of the men as she got in the way of their view of the screen. She waved her hands, apologetically, whispered out into the crowd. "So sorry fellas, I'll be out of your hair in a moment. Is there a Eugene Roe here?"

"That's me," A southern drawl piped up from a few rows up. The man stood up, walking over to where she was standing. "What's wrong?"

"Would you mind awfully heading up to room 202 on the second floor?" She looked at him pleadingly, sure to keep her voice down. "Roseanna's had a little accident with a curling tong.

"Sure," He nodded his head. "202 did you say?"

"That's the one. Thanks, Eugene," She patted his shoulder, watching him dash off. She felt a tugging at her sleeve, looking down to see Floyd. "Evening, Floyd."

"Is she alright?" He asked, concerned.

"She's fine. Don't worry about it. "Annie reassured him, giving him a smile before making her way back up towards Nix and Dick. She sat down in an empty seat next to them. "Back."

"Why was Eugene in such a rush?" Dick ask inquisitively.

"No idea," She shook her head innocently, eager to change the subject. "So, how's the movie?"

"It's alright," Dick replied blankly.

Lew leaned across. "Dick's not a fan of Judy Garland. He thinks that she's overrated."

"Is that right?" She smiled at Dick, amused. "Well, actually, I'm inclined to agree. She's such a lovely woman though. Rotten luck with men, mind you. Still, I heard that she just got married in June to that director, Vincente Minelli. Here's hoping she'd picked a good 'un there, unlike before. I'll never forget the Caine Summer Barbecue Party in 1940 when she found out that Artie Shaw had eloped with Lana Turner. Oh, she was devastated. She was so in love with that man." She stopped when she noticed that Lew was smiling at her, amused. "…what?"

"How come you've never told me these stories before?" He asked, his eyes glimmering.

"You've never asked, Captain," She shot back, winking at him. "Besides, I'm not really one for gossip."

"Right," Nix snorted with laughter. "If you'd dropped any more names in that story, it'd be a garden salad."

……………………………….

Roseanna winced in pain as she sat in her and Annie's office, in front of a large mirror, watching Eugene treat her burned hand with ice.

"Sorry," He apologised. "I'll be gentle."

"It's alright," She shook her head. "I'm just a big baby."

"Forgive me for noticing," He cleared his throat, flashing her an amused smile. "But you have a tendency to injure your right hand. Why is that?"

"Wish I could tell ya, Eugene," She laughed, wincing again as he began to wind a bandage around. "All I know is, I'll be paying much more attention to which end of the curling tong I pick up in future."

"I think that would be a good idea," He laughed.

"Am I interrupting?" Luz's voice piped up from the door. "Mind if I come in?"

She looked up to see him leaning against the doorframe. "Come in, George."

"Well," Eugene packed up his bag. "That's us about done here. You might want to keep that dry for two days. I'm afraid that means no swimming."

"Will do," She waved him off with her good hand. "Thanks, Eugene."

Stepping aside to let Eugene leave, George made his way into the room, sitting on the chair that the doc had just vacated. "What've you done to yourself?"

She motioned to her hair tongs and then her bandaged hand, laughing. "Whaddya think?"

"I don't think you're supposed to pick those things up by the hot end," He joke. "Though I'm not a girl, so I wouldn't know."

"I'll bear that in mind," She rolled her eyes. "What brings you here?"

"Concern," He said, jokingly putting a concerned look on his face. It softened. "No, actually, Floyd asked me to come and check if you were alright. I would've come myself though, _honestly_."

"Sure you would've, George," She said, playfully slapping him on the arm. "Well you can tell him that I'm fine. Why didn't he come himself?"

"Too embarrassed," George said, pouting exaggeratedly. "He told me what happened last night."

"He did?" She asked, looking away.

"Poor bastard thinks he blew his chances," George pointed out. "…but I didn't have the heart t tell him that he never had a hope in hell anyway, not with the Major around."

"Yes, well…," She said, still looking away dismissively.

"That's what all this is about, right?" He said, pointing to the tongs. "Tab told me he walked in in the middle of everything."

"Well yes, and I think he got the wrong end of the stick," She frowned. "So I thought I would sing to him, to should him how I feel."

"I see," George crossed his arms. "You can't just tell him?"

"Well, I _did_ back in Belgium," She pointed out. "That didn't work. Now, I don't know. I have increasingly less confidence around Di- the Major."

"Christ, Roseanna. I can't believe you're working so hard to get one man to like you. You, being famous and all. I mean, why don't you just go home and marry Henry Fonda or something?"

"Well because he's 40 and married, for a start," She raised an eyebrow at him, before looking down at her feet. "Besides, I…I don't think there _is_ anyone else that I want."

"You serious?"

"I know it sounds silly. When I first met him, I began to fall for him almost straight away. He seemed to strong, determined…and safe. It sounds crazy I know and, believe me, when I went home to the US, I tried to tell convince myself that it was just the atmosphere of being in the middle of a warzone and Dick taking care of me that made me feel that way. But I couldn't stop thinking about him, every single day. You know, I'm no expert, George, but I think it might be…love," She blushed, looking away again.

"Shit," Was all George could say, stunned.

Embarrassed, she gestured around her to her hair, the mirror and the tongs. "So I guess that's why I'm doing all of this. Pretty stupid, huh?"

George's expression took on a softness she'd never seen it take on before. He cleared his throat. "No, I don't think it's stupid. I think that it's very…brave of you, to keep going after the man you want, especially when you already tried once before."

"What's that look," She said, confused by the look on his face.

"Nothing," He laughed, a reminiscent look in his eyes. "Makes me think of your sister. Sorry, stepsister."

"What about her?" She said, her eyes suddenly growing wide. "What? You were _in love_ with her?"

"I used to think so when I was younger," He laughed, embarrassed.

"Oh, George," She scolded, laughing. "Surely not."

"Well hey, her pictures and records were everywhere! She was everywhere I looked when I was a young man…and I'm sure I wasn't the only one. I think I built her up in my head to be something that she wasn't."

"What? Like a nice person," Roseanna joked.

"Very funny," He shook his head at her. "I suppose when I actually met her in person, I actually thought, a little part of me anyway, that I could use the old George Luz charm and make her fall for me."

That sentence made Roseanna think of the day she'd found him waiting outside of the their dressing room for Lola, and she'd just simply walked straight past him. "Oh, George."

He waved his hand dismissively. "Oh well, a man can hope. It's your fault, too."

"Oh, really?" She cocked her head at him.

"Yeah," He laughed, amused. "When I saw that you'd developed feelings for the Major it gave me a little burst of confidence, like maybe us Joe Regulars had a chance with you hotshots."

"I'm sorry, George," She said, reaching out and patting his hand. "You'd have a chance with many women. Lola is just the exception, given the she's already betrothed…to the devil."

George laughed at her joke, as the both of them sat back, sighing heavily at the deep conversation they'd just had.

"Pretty intense conversation," She said, look over at him.

"Yeah," He nodded in agreement, frowning. "Do me a favour…don't let this get back to the other fellas."

"Stays between us," She reassured him. "Now, can you do me a tiny, little favour?"

"What?"

"Welll," She said, gesturing. "I've got half a head of uncurled hair and an injured hand. See where I'm going with this?"

His eyes widened. "Oh, no, no, no. I can't do that. If it ever got back to the other fellas that I curled your hair…I'd never hear the end of it. No, I'll go get Annie."

"No," Roseanna held up a hand. "She's setting up the microphone and music. Please, George, you're the only one who can help me."

"But, but…," He protested. "I don't even know what I'm doing!"

"I'll walk you through it," She reassured him, frowning at his sceptical look. "Come on, George. _I'm_ the one in danger of having my hair burnt off."

"Oh good," He said, reaching for the tongs. "Fill me up with confidence, why don't you?"

……………………………………

As the movie credits rolled, the men began to shuffle to their feet in preparation of leaving. Panicked at their sudden upheaval, Annie ran behind the screen to where she'd assembled the microphone. She gave a thumbs up to Roseanna, waiting at the side. "Excuse me, excuse me! If you could all just keep your seats for a moment, we have a little something extra for you tonight. If you'll just, wait…wait until I get this screen up."

Annie rushed to the side, pulling the rope and pulling screen up to reveal the microphone. She walked back over to the mic, leaning down. "Thank you all for staying behind. Now let's give Roseanna a big round of applause. She's got a song she wants to sing for you all."

Amidst the applause and sudden whoops, Roseanna walked out, feeling very sheepish all of a sudden. Giving the crowd a quick scan, she couldn't see Dick, but would just have to trust that they'd managed to get him here. Clearing her throat, she leaned down into the mic. "Evening everyone. Well, like Annie said, I'd like to sing a little song for you tonight. It's always been one of my favourite, by the Mills brothers and, erm…right now it seems to mean so much more to me. Thank you everyone."

Giving a nod to Annie to start the music, she cleared her throat again:

You always hurt the one you love  
The one you shouldn't hurt at all  
You always take the sweetest rose  
And crush it till the petals fall

You always break the kindest heart  
With a hasty word you can't recall, so  
If I broke your heart last night  
It's because I love you most of all

You always hurt the one you love  
The one you shouldn't hurt at all  
You always take the sweetest rose  
And crush it till the petals fall

You always break the kindest heart  
With a hasty word you can't recall  
So-o if I broke your heart last night  
It's because I love you most of a-all

You always hurt the one you love  
The one you shouldn't hurt at all  
You always take the sweetest rose  
Crush it, till the petals fall

You always break the kindest heart  
With a hasty word you can't recall, so  
If I broke your heart last night  
It's because I love you most of all...

When it was over an applause rang throughout the room, and she sheepishly thanked everyone and walked off to the side again, hoping it had done the trick. After catching her breath for a moment and getting a quick drink of water for her dry mouth, she prepared to go out and find Dick. Before she could do so, she was confronted by Floyd. She jumped slightly at his sudden appearance.

"Sorry to scare you," He held his hands up apologetically.

"That's alright, Floyd," She smiled amiably.

"Heck of a performance," He complimented her. He gave her a sort of hopeless look. "I don't…I don't suppose it was about me by any chance."

She bit her lip, looking down. "No. I'm sorry, Tab."

"Well, hey, that's alright," He said, plastering a smile over his face so as not to make her feel bad. He reached out, taking one of her hands and kissing it quickly before releasing it. He put a hand on the side of her arm. "Well, he's a lucky man, whoever he is."

She watched him walk off, feeling a little guilty. Still, it wasn't fair of her to lie to him, was it?

"Nice job," Lew piped up, appearing behind her.

She spun round to greet him. "Thanks Lew. Did, um…."

"He went back to his office there," He explained.

"Oh," She looked down, her heart sinking.

Nix nudged her playfully in the arm. "He asked me to ask you to pop up and see him if you get the chance."

"Really?" She asked, erupting into a wide smile.

"Yep, so he's up there watin' on you now," Nix nodded, stepping out of the way as George Luz walked past them, a scowl on his face. Nix frowned. "Why does Luz have a bandaged hand."

"Uuuuh," She said, thinking quickly, pursing her lips and looking none the wiser. "You know, I really have _no_ idea…."

……………………………..

Roseanna quickly touched up her lipstick as she stood outside the door to his office. She had to keep her hand from shaking as she did so. She couldn't believe how nervous she was. Psyching herself up, she knocked lightly on the door.

After a slight pause, she heard. "Come in."

She opened the door, looking around for him, unable to find him.

"I'm out here," He called from the balcony, as though reading her thoughts.

Putting her hands nervously in her pockets, she shuffled out onto the balcony. Her nerves washed away momentarily as she looked out at the stars and the moonlight glinting off of the water. She whistled. "Wow, I forgot how good the view was from your office."

Dick, however, wasn't looking at the view. He was looking, with concern, at her bandaged hand. He reached out, touching it gently. "What happened?"

"Oh that?" She piped up, looking at it, feeling idiotic at the thought of telling him how it had happened. "Accident with a, erm…curling tong."

He couldn't help but smile at her. "Bit of a nasty habit you have there of injuring this hand."

"Apparently so," She nodded.

"Your hair looks lovely, though," He said, complimenting her. "Very nice."

The moonlight framing his face, making him look even more handsome seemed to give her a sudden burst of confidence, so lost was she in his eyes. "Then it was all worth it then?"

"Sorry?" He asked, confused.

"The hair and the, erm…song," She blushed, hoping it wouldn't show up in the moonlight. "…you _do_ know that was for you…don't you?"

He paused a moment, looking at her. He nodded slowly. "Yes, I knew. Then again, I didn't need a song to know how you really feel about me."

"Really?" Her eyes lit up. "So you know that the kiss yesterday wasn't what it looked like?"

"Of course I do," He said quietly, clearing his throat. "I know that it was one-sided. It showed me, thought…"

"Showed you what?" She asked, prompting him as he suddenly fell quiet.

"It showed me…," He swallowed. "Showed me how much I really care about you, too."

"Geez," She joked. "You didn't know that already?"

"No…no, I did," He corrected her. "I suppose I've just been trying to keep a lid on it, since this is my job here, but I can't describe to you how just how jealous I felt when I saw Sergeant Talbert kissing you. I…I came back here and kicked my door."

She couldn't help but laugh at his revelation. "You kicked your door?"

"I did, yes," He said, straightening up and smoothing his tie indignantly, all the while looking sheepish, with a playful glimmer in his eye. "Don't laugh. That's a big thing for me."

"I'm sorry," She said. "I don't mean to laugh it's just…it's so nice to hear you say that."

They both fell silent, both merely taking in the moonlight-bathed face of the other. Her stomach filled with butterflies. A reaction he always seemed to evoke in her. Trying to steady herself and appear nonchalant, she put her hands along the banister, leaning against it. "So…now what do we do?"

Before he could respond, she lost her balance, her hands sliding along the banister, causing her to slide. He instinctively reached out, grabbing hold of her before she lost her footing. As she gave a yelp of surprise at her impending fall and then sudden saviour, neither noticed the clinch they'd become entangled in, with his arms around her upper wait and her arms wrapped tight around his neck.

"You're a walking hazard," He joked, unable to stop himself from chuckling.

She freed one arm from around his shoulders, covering her embarrassed face with her hand. "I know, I'm such a disaster!"

"You're not a disaster," He whispered, his eyes locking onto hers. She felt electricity tingle up her spine as they looked into each others each, subconsciously wrapping the arm back around his neck. She closed her eyes, taking in his smell. She'd longed for so long to get close enough to him again so that she might smell it. She opened her eyes gently to see find that his, too, were closed. She wondered if he might be doing the same thing. Closing her eyes again, their lips slowly yet instinctively made their way towards each other, meeting in a gentle kiss. Wrapping her arms tighter around his neck, she let everything just drift away as she lost herself in the embrace.


	27. Chapter 27 Location, Location, Location

**Falling Star Chapter 27**

……………………………………

Thanks, as ever, for all of the lovely, lovely reviews. I love getting feedback! Enjoy the latest chapter!

……………………………………..

_**July 16**__**th**__**, 1945- Zell Am See**_

Tripping over another branch strewn on the floor as she walked alongside Annie in the thicket within the forest, Roseanna gasped, steadying herself, stopping herself from falling over. She was starting to feel that it hadn't been such a good idea that she'd willingly followed Annie into the forest on her, as she put it, "reconnaissance mission".

"Mind the branches," Annie warned, a few footsteps-length up ahead.

"Oh, thanks for that," Roseanna said dryly, smiling all the same. "You know, I wish you'd told me what this little expedition would entail. That way I could've chosen proper footwear."

"Who are you kidding?" Annie laughed. "You have about five pairs of heels in your suitcase and one pair of flat shoes, if you're lucky."

"Fine, fine," Roseanna sighed, rolling her eyes. She shielded her hand over her eyes, smiling us she looked up towards the sky. "I don't mind, actually. Not when it's such a beautiful day today."

"Hmm, you're in a good mood," Annie observed, casting a cheeky glance over her shoulder. "I suppose all of that kissing has been good for you."

"What do you mean _all of that kissing_?" She protested, blushing happily. "I told you already, it was just one very good…and quite long…kiss."

"Well, all I'm saying it," Annie clucked her tongue, moving a branch out of her way. "You were gone for an hour, as far as I could tell."

"Don't pretend you're not happy about that, even if only slightly," She shook her head, almost tripping over a large rock, stepping out of the way just in time. "At least that was an hour you were able to spend alone with Lew. No grand revelations of love or affection?"

Annie snorted with laughter. "No, he's married!"

"Wait," She stopped dead in her tracks, running to catch up with the fast-moving Annie. "Hold on just a second…he's married? What?...how?"

"Goodness, Roseanna…_how_? With vows, I suppose," Annie tutted.

Roseanna bit her lip against the slight annoyance she felt when her friend resorted to biting sarcasm when something was bothering her. "Alright, but…why didn't he ever mention it?"

"Well, he's _separated_," Came the response, accompanied by air quotation marks and a slight grunt.

"Separated?" Roseanna shook her head. "Well, I must say, that paints him in an extremely unfavourable light."

"No, no," Annie protested, holding up her hands defensively. "He's been very honest with me, which I, despite the circumstances, find very admirable."

"I suppose that's something at something at least," She shrugged.

"I don't know," Annie bit her lip. "It makes him seem all the more attractive to me."

"Annie," Roseanna exclaimed, aghast. "No, you can't!"

"Why not?" Annie shot back, challenging from just up ahead, not slowing her pace.

"You can't embark on an affair with a married man!" Roseanna chided, incredulously. "Think about what that would do to your reputation!"

Annie snapped her fingers. "I thought about that for a second…but then I wondered why I was even thinking about that. I'm on the brink of the show business circle, but _I'm_ not the one in the public eye. No one really cares about my private life."

"Wait, wait, _wait_. You're not thinking this…," She stopped, suddenly alerted by the sound of twigs snapping nearby. Her eyes raised in alarm as her voice dropped to a whisper. "Did you hear that?"

Annie stopped too, tensing. "Yes. What…."

Both girls, without thinking, reached out their arms, grabbing each other as the footsteps sounded out slowly loud, snapping twigs on the ground as they seemed to approach closer, closer, closer. Blinking, their eyes darted around in every direction, unable to pinpoint the exact direction of the incoming footsteps. Hearing the sudden sound of a rifle cocking behind her, she whipped her head round…only to be confronted by Malarkey, Liebgott, Bull and Perconte, rifles poised. Simultaneously, Roseanna and the boys sighed, shaking their heads. She shook her head at them incredulously, her heart still thumping. "What the hell are you all doing?!"

Annie, finally turning round, squealed and jumped back, neglecting to notice that they had lowered their weapons. She held her hands up in the air. "Oh my Lord, don't shoot!"

Bull, drawing Annie a blank look, cigar firmly stuck in the corner of his mouth, grunted, flashing an annoyed look at Perco. "Goddamnit, _I can hear a deer,_ you said. Good job, Perco, I'll bet all this noise done scared away every deer in five miles."

Roseanna coughed, repeating herself whilst trying to calm Annie down. "What the hell are you doing?"

Liebgott scratched his face, peeved. "Well we _were_ trying to shoot some dinner. Perco here says he can hear a deer, that he know the sound they make when they stand on the twigs. Turns out…it's you two."

"You thought we were deer," Roseanna asked, putting a hand on her hip.

"You were going to shoot an innocent deer," Annie tutted, shaking her head at all of them in disappointment. "Shame on you! Shame on you all! And shame on all of you for making my heart damn near jump up my throat and out of my mouth!"

Bull, effortlessly keeping his cigar wedged into place in the corner of his mouth, couldn't help but smile at her reaction. "You a city girl, Annie?"

"New York," Annie replied indignantly, her heart gently placed on her chest with her heart still thumping from the shock.

"You can tell," Bull said, a smile playing on his lips.

"Too right you can," Lieb snorted, leaning on his rifle,which dug lightly into the ground.

Roseanna squinted at him. "Joe…aren't you from San Francisco?"

"Uh…yeah," He squirmed, trying to change the subject. "So what are you two doing out here anyway?"

"Annie dragged me all the way out here," Roseanna said, stretching slightly. "We're looking for somewhere to build…"

"Sssssh," Annie dug her in the ribs, shooting her a look. "It's a surprise."

"Oh," She raised her eyebrows, rubbing the spot where Annie had dug her. "It's surprise, apparently."

"What kinda surprise?" Perco asked, frowning.

"That's the point of a surprise," Annie sighed, grabbing Roseanna's arm and tugging at her to follow her along. "Good day boys. Leave the deer alone!"

………………………………….

"Wooow," Annie whistled, shielding her eyes from the sun as she looked out at the vast expanse of greenery before her.

"What?" Roseanna asked, trying desperately to make her way through the thicket of trees and branches to see what she was looking at. Stepping over the last vine, she saw what Annie was looking at. "Alright, you're right. Wow."

"Look at the view," Annie's mouth hung open. "Those hills! Wouldn't this be perfect?"  
"Well, I don't think they'll give a damn about the view," She laughed, nodding her head all the same. "But I agree on this place. It's huge!"

"It's perfect," Annie said, triumphantly. She frowned. "Why didn't Lew and I find this place when we were out looking. I swear we working walking around somewhere around over there."

"Too distracted, likely," Roseanna remarked cheekily, shooting Annie a smile as she rolled her eyes.

Shooting her a warning look, Annie cleared her throat. "_Anyway_, I'll have to have him come take a look, see if it meets his approval. But, honestly, _wow_. A little sand, some chicken wire…done."

Roseanna folded her arms, biting her lip. "We'd need some help."

"But that would ruin the surprise," Annie pursed her lips in thought.

"I know," She laughed. "But we're hardly construction workers."

"I suppose, but only ones we can trust to keep a secret…and who, obviously, are strong. What about the one with the…," Annie made a smoking motion with her hand. "…the cigar in his mouth."

"Bull Randleman," She explained.

"Yes," Annie nodded, scratching her chin. "Let's get him."

………………………………………………

Standing on her tiptoes in the stationary supply room a little later that day, Annie tried desperately to reach up to the highest shelf for a few pieces of paper. She sighed, frustrated, wishing she was just that little bit taller.

"Need a hand?" Dick's voice rang out behind her. "

She whipped round to see him standing in the doorway. Her heart beginning to pound, she stepped aside as casually as she could. "Please."

He reached up, effortlessly pulling her down a small stack of paper. "There you go?"

"Thanks," She reached out to take it from him, their fingers lightly brushing as she did so. She took a sharp intake of breath. "Uh, thanks a lot."

"So," He swallowed deeply. "What's the paper for?"

"Oh," Her eyes lit up. "Well…we're building a baseball diamond."

He raised an eyebrow. "A baseball diamond?"

"Well, that's the plan anyway," She shrugged, shyly looking at him. "We thought it would be a good way to keep the men moving around when they're off duty, which they often are. We found a beautiful, spacious spot not too far from here. Lew's seen it and he said it was great."

"Sounds nice," He smiled politely, motioning to the paper again. "So what are you…?"

She held it up. "Well, we'll need some help and supplies, so Lew said we'd have to write a letter of intent to the Colonel. He seems to think it shouldn't be a problem though."

"It should be fine," Dick nodded. "I'm sure we could spare some men for an afternoon, and I'm sure a lot of them wouldn't mind avoiding duty for a while."

"Hopefully. As for the supplies, I'm not sure. We just need sand and some chicken wire. We can get the sand from down by the water but we just need help carrying it. The chicken wire, I'm not so sure…I'm not sure if you can even get that here but we'll see what…," She stopped, noticing how he was smiling at her. She blushed. "I'm talking too much, aren't I?"

"It's nice to see you look so excited," He said, realising he was standing dangerously close to her.

She breathed, lost in his eyes once again as was common around him for her. She couldn't help but think that he could have a promising career as a hypnotist. Unaware of her surroundings as they looked bashfully at each other, the paper slipped from her hands, crashing to the floor and flying in all direction.

"Oh," She blushed, snapping back to earth and immediately stooping down to pick them up, embarrassed. "I'm such an idiot."

"Let me help you," He bent down, lending her a hand, their heads merely inches from each other. When he'd gathered up a stack, he gingerly held them out towards her. "There you go."

She held out a hand to take them, but he didn't release, both of them simply holding onto the paper. She was almost certain that she could sense what was coming their eyes found each other, their noses just inches apart. Involuntarily, her eyes closed as her head began to lean forward. She couldn't stop herself, and hoped to God that he was doing the same. She didn't have to worry though, he was.

"Not interrupting am I?" A voice rang out from the door.

Their eyes sprang open as they scrambled back onto their feet, dusting themselves down. Roseanna took an embarrassed look over to the door where Harry Welsh stood, amused, with his arms folded.

"Harry," Dick cleared his throat, adopting his official tone. "No you're not interrupting. We just had an accident with the paper, that's all."

"I see," Harry raised his eyebrows.

Smoothing down her skirt, Roseanna reached out her hand, taking the paper from Dick and hugging it close to her chest. "Well, I should be on my way. Good day, gentlemen."

…………………….

_**July 19**__**th**_, _**1945- Zell Am See**_

"I haven't played this in years," Nix remarked as Roseanna took the lid off of the Monopoly set. The three of them sat at a table in the back of their entertainment room.

"Then you should be easy prey," Annie joked, taking out the board and stretching it out on the table.

"Wait a minute, this doesn't look…," Nix furrowed his brow.

"British edition," Roseanna explained, claiming the small dog statue for herself. "From the Red Cross, you see."

"I see," Nix whistled, gently fingering the yellow coloured Picadilly Square box. "Well hey, at least I might learn something here, huh?"

With all of their statues set up on the starting box, Annie poised herself to roll the dice, stopping only when she saw Dick entering the room. Her eyes lit up as she waved him over from across the room amidst the noise of all of the other soldiers doing various activities around them. "Dick! Come join us!"

He made his way over to them, nodding politely. "Evening. What's this? Monopoly?"

"Annie thinks she's gonna teach me a thing or two," Nix laughed.

"I'm sure she will, in fact," Dick joked.

Roseanna, swivelling her head round to look at him, bit her lip anxiously. "Why don't you…why don't you join us?"

"Play?" Dick echoed, scratching the back of his head. "I really shouldn't, I have…"

"You don't have anything to do tonight, Dick," Nix rolled his eyes, pulling out the chair next to him. "Play."

"Well," He swallowed, sitting down. "Alright, as long as I can be the car."

"Beat you to it I'm afraid," Nix flashed him a smile, going through the remaining statues in the box as Annie dealt Dick his money. "You can be the iron though."

"Iron it is then," Dick said, taking the small figurine and placing it on the Go square along with the others.

"Why don't you go first," Annie said, offering him the dice. "Seeing as you're a Major and all."

"How kind," He said dryly, laughing. He took the dice and, swivelling them in his enclosed palm first, released them onto the board. He moved his iron along the board, landing on the community chest box. He picked up his card, then frowned. "Go to…jail. Do not pass Go and do not collect 200 dollar…pounds. Fantastic."

"Unlucky," Annie said, biting her lip to stop her from laughing at his misfortune.

"Not like you Dick to be sent to jail," Nix joked.

Roseanna joined in on the act. "That wont look good on your records, Dick. Maybe you'll get demoted."

His eyes twinkled as he looked at her. He shook his head. "I knew I shouldn't have played."

"Well," She cocked her head to one side. "You can't go anywhere now…you're in jail, remember?"

………………………………

Three hours later, Nix and Annie sat at the table with their heads practically in their hands, both bankrupted, fighting sleep as they watched Dick and Roseanna still furiously fighting it out, the iron and the dog moving in haste around the board. Roseanna had managed to procure the more upmarket properties on the board, but Dick was making good money from owning almost everything around the starting two sides of the board, making it hard for her to avoid. She bit her lip as his iron approached her side of the board. She shot him a smile when he stopped it o Park lane. "Now, now, Major. You do know that, as you've landed on Park Lane, you owe me quite a bit."

"I can afford it," He proclaimed confidently, counting out some bills and handing them to her. He picked up the dice to roll again, having rolled a double beforehand.

"Why thank you," She said, counting out the money (just to be sure). "Careful…if you roll a double one then you're on Mayfair…which, as you can see, is _also_ mine."

"Oh my _God_," Annie wailed from down the table. "Hurry up so we can go to bed! In fact, I might have to go now. I can barely keep my eyes open, right Lew? Lew! Wake up!"

Lew grunted in response.

"No," Roseanna shook her head. "We need an independent banker at this crucial stage in the game. Just sit tight."

"Roll a double one? What are the chances of that?" Dick asked mockingly, shaking the dice before releasing them…he paled. "Damn it."

Roseanna bit her lip to stop her squealing out in triumph as she moved his iron to Mayfair for him. "I think we can call this a day now, can't we?"

"About damn time," Nix groaned. "Unlucky, Dick."

"Ah well," He shrugged. "I gave it my best shot."

Tidying the board away, Annie stood up. "Okay, I need to go to bed _now_. Goodnight, everybody."

"Oh wait," Dick exclaimed, slapping his forehead in remembrance. "I completely forgot to tell you, the whole reason I came in here to see you."

"What?" Annie yawned, turning back round to face him from where she was standing in the doorway, Lew in tow.

"I spoke to the Colonel and he approved your baseball Diamond, as long as you don't disfigure the area too much," Dick told them, smiling encouragingly.

"That's great," Roseanna beamed, putting the lid back on the box.

"Yes, that's good news," Annie stifled another yawn. "I'll process it in the morning, when I'm able to move excitedly. Goodnight."

"Night Annie, Night Lew," Roseanna waved them off, sliding the monopoly set back on it's shelf.

Dick lingered nearby, hands in his pockets. "Need an escort back to your room?"

She laughed, before nodding, feigning a serious expression. "Yes, yes I think I do. Those two floors to my room can be vicious at this time of night."

"I've noted that sarcasm," He offered his arm, which she duly took. "But I'll ignore it as I'm going that way anyway."

"Thank you, Dick," She said, following him out of the room. She suddenly tapped his arm as they ascended the stairs. "You never told me Lew was married."

He was slightly taken aback. "It wasn't my place to say. Besides, things aren't running to smoothly in that situation."

"I know, they're separated," She nodded. "Still, it was a shock to Annie to learn that."

"I can imagine," He bit his lip, stopping outside of her door.

"Secrets," She rolled her eyes, laughing nervously. "Don't tell me you're married too secretly?"

"No," He smiled at her unsubtle tactics. "No, I'm not."

"Good," She said, her stomach flopping as their eyes met. "Well, thanks for walking me this…great distance. Good evening."

She hadn't noticed that she still had her arm interlinked with his, so anxious were her butterflies. They both let out a little laugh as she quickly removed it, straightening herself up.

"Sleep well," He said, both of them still standing within inches of each other.

"Night," She said, perching on her toes, trying to summon the courage. Finally, she leaned over, placing a gentle kiss on his lips, which she felt him softly return.

When she pulled away, she shot him a shy smile, gliding quickly to her door and opening it. "Goodnight, Dick."

…………………………

_**July 21**__**st**__**, 1945- Zell Am See**_

A few days later, the sun beating on their backs, the girls found themselves, clad in tatty work clothes, down at the location for their new baseball diamond. Admittedly, they weren't doing most of the work. That privilege fell to Bull, Babe and Johnny Martin, who were working nearby.

"You know," Babe said, smoothing out buckets of sand they'd carried up in numerous trips earlier that day. "Going from missions to prisoner snatches in Hagenau to _this_. I'm starting to wonder if that standard of my work is slippin or somethin'."

"What are you complainin' about Heffron?" Johnny sighed from nearby. "Would you rather be on crossroad duty, checkin' papers?"

Babe stopped for a moment, pursing his lips in thought. He quickly went back to work. "Fair point."

Roseanna laughed from nearby where she was helped Bull erect a small chicken-wire fence. "Actually, we thought we could trust you three the most to keep this a secret. We want it to be a surprise."

"And you picked Heffron cos you thought he could keep a secret?" Bull asked pointedly, shaking his head, cigar still in his mouth.

"Hey, I'm offended by that!" Babe piped up, shovel in hand. He stopped, lookin' at Roseanna. "Actually, this secrecy. What's it worth to ya?"

"Heffron," She shot him a warning look strong enough to make him get back to work.

"Great idea, ladies, " Johnny complimented them. "The guys'll love this. I can't wait to have a go, myself."

The sound of an approaching jeep caused them all to look up momentarily. As it approached, the forms of Dick and Lew could be made out in the front seats, Dick behind the wheel. Parking, he jumped out, hands thrust in his pockets as he observed their work. He smiled approvingly. "Looking good."

"Thanks, "Roseanna smiled proudly. "You've got good, strong men in the battalion, Major."

"Well I hope you're working them hard," Dick joked, looking over as Babe let out an audible _mmm hmmm_ from nearby. "I'll take that as a yes."

Annie stood up straight, digging her shovel into the ground, leaning on it. She looked over at Nix, sunglasses over his eyes, leaning against the jeep as he watched them work. She shouted over to him. "Well hey there, Captain Nixon. Don't just stand there. Why don't you come and give us a hand!"

Lew removed his sunglasses long enough to send her an amused, incredulous look before placing them back on his eyes. "Sorry ladies, I don't move sand around. This is a clean uniform."

…………………………………………..


	28. Chapter 28 champagne and moonlit walks

**Falling Star Chapter 28**

………………………….

_**July 23**__**rd**_, _**1945- Zell Am See**_

With a final glance into her compact, Roseanna sashayed out into the garden terrace overlooking the lake, immediately amongst a swarm of Officers in dress uniform, every one of them sipping from champagne flutes. Truth be told, she wasn't exactly sure of the purpose behind this garden gathering. Something to do with Officers, that much she'd gathered from Dick. Likely it was just a chance for them to swill the alcohol they'd amassed in Berchtesgaden during the daylight hours. Either way she didn't mind. It was nothing if not a chance for her to put on some red lipstick and a pair of high heels. She judged that she must have done alright in making herself up that day, gathering various appreciative nods and _"Lovely to see you, Miss Caine"_s from the uniformed men that she passed them by on her way to the large table set up in the middle, covered in champagne flutes. Walking through the garden amongst the garden made her think suddenly of New York City, and she couldn't help but feel that she was having a sneak preview of how the male attire would look in the social clubs as the servicemen all began to return. Putting her clutch bag under her shoulder (Yes, yes. Absolutely no need for a clutch bag), she smiled interactively to the poor young Private standing on the opposite side, the poor, young Private who had no doubt been coerced into playing drinks waiter for the occasion.

He raised his eyebrows to show that he'd noticed her. "Can I pour you a glass, ma'am?"

"Just a small one, please," She said, making a small motion with her thumb and index finger.

"Plenty to go around," The Colonel's voice boomed out from behind her, growing louder as he appeared by her side. "Don't feel obliged to have a small glass."

"That's very kind of you, Colonel," She said replied. "But I think I'd better stick to a small glass."

"Can I top up your glass for you, Sir?" The young Private, suddenly eager-eyed, holding the bottle out animatedly to Sink.

"Yes," Sink replied, turning further towards Roseanna as he held out his glass towards the Private. "Now, Miss Caine, your father mentioned in his latest letter to me that you haven't been writing to him as often as you assured him that you would. He asked me if I'd mind having a word with you about it."

She stopped mid-sip of champagne. "You write to my father?"

"Well, I receive correspondence and send it to the Caine Family as a whole," He shook his head lightly, winking at her. "I like to keep in contact so that I can make sure my end of the deal is secure come the wife's 40th."

"That's very clever of you, Colonel," She said admirably, oozing charm. "No, he is, of course, right. I haven't been keeping up my end of the bargain. I've just been so busy lately with preparations for the baseball diamond. I'll get on it, Colonel."

"See that you do," He said, friendly yet with mildly warning undertones. "Now, how are things coming on down there at the green?"

"Very well, Colonel," She proclaimed reassuringly. "I think even Lou Gehrig himself would've happily come out of retirement to hit a few balls there, God rest his soul."

Sink smiled faintly. "Well I look forward to seeing the end result."

"You'll be the first to receive your invitation," She flattered him. "Perhaps we'll even be able to entice you into joining a game."

He shook his head, smiling all the same. "I think I'm a little far gone for that now. I will, however, be a willing spectator. Will you excuse me, Miss Caine? I have to speak with this gentleman over there."

"Of course, Colonel. It was good to speak to you," She waved him off, standing all on her own. Unphased, she casually took a sip from her champagne flute as she let her eyes wander around the contours of the garden, seeing which faces she recognised and those she did not. Her eyes settled on Dick down at the other end of the garden down towards the water, talking animatedly with Malarkey. It seemed there was something a small queue waiting to speak to him. She supposed she's have to wait a while until she'd have the chance to speak with him. Biting her lip, her arms folded and her champagne flute resting loosely in her hand just below her chin, she let her eyes look him up and down. He looked so handsome in his dress uniform. She'd been used, if anything, to the dishevelled, frozen Dick in Bastogne or the dishevelled, stressed Dick out here in Austria. Whilst she'd found him attractive either way she couldn't help by thinking that he scrubbed up well. So lost in her shameless perving was she, that it wasn't until that very point that she realised he'd caught sight of her, and was staring back at her from across the other side of the garden. They locked eyes, both erupting into smiles that lingered for several seconds. It was only when Roseanna was distracted by the sound of someone calling her name that she broke the eye contact.

"Roseanna," The voice came again. It was Annie, standing several feet away next to Lew, motioning her over.

Casting a final glance back at Dick, Roseanna turned on her heel and wandered over towards both of them. She shot Annie a cheeky smile, looking down at her outfit. "Why Miss Wilkes…is that my dress you're wearing?"

"Why, it is indeed, Miss Caine," Annie played along. "But, I must point out…aren't you wearing my high heels?"

"Touché," Roseanna laughed, clinking glasses with her friends.

Lew motioned to Roseanna's glass, joking. "Oops, someone take that away from her quickly! She presents a flight risk when intoxicated!"

"Thanks for bringing _that_ up, Lew," She rolled her eyes at him, gripping her glass tighter. "I swear, I'm only having this one half-glass."

"We'll be keeping an eye on you," He teased.

Her eyes wandered back over towards Dick. "Lew, why are all of those people waiting to speak to Dick? He's certainly popular today."

"Thinning the herd," Lew replied nonchalantly, swigging from his glass.

"Come again?" Roseanna frowned.

"Well…," Lew said, shrugging his shoulders. He'd momentarily forgotten how these girls didn't know the ins and outs of the military. "It's coming to the end of the war, far as we hear from the Pacific, and a lot of our men are receiving promotions for their achievement and endeavour in the Battalion. Only thing is, we have all of these highly-commissioned men around here with nothing at all to do with their new rank, so we're trying to find ways to get them moved around, let them do something with their time. Malarkey there, for example, is being packaged off to Paris."

"Don's leaving?" She raised her eyebrows, making a mental note. "Wow, I bet everyone'll miss him."

"Well, he's been around from the start," Lew shrugged, helping himself to another sip. "But he's wanted to head to Paris for a long time, so I doubt he'll be too upset."

"So Lew," Annie piped up, changing the subject as she laid a hand on the fence by her side. "Why aren't you out rubbing shoulders with all of these important fellas?"

"Pffft," He rolled his eyes, tugging at his tie as though it was too tight. "I'm long since past trying to impress the ranks. The war's too far gone for that now. Besides, ladies, you both make for far more entertaining company than some of these old stiffs."

"Lew!" Annie said sternly, unable to stifle a gentle laugh.

Lew looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps, his eyes lighting up for a second time as Harry Welsh made his way over to them. Lew joked. "…and here comes just one of those stiffs I don't need to impress."

"Good," Harry retorted, shaking his head, letting out a laugh. "Cos if you were you wouldn't be doing a very good job.

"Good comeback," Lew said appreciatively, making space to let Harry into their circle. "Say, Harry, have you actually been formally introduced to these two yet?"

"Not formally, no," Harry's eyes twinkled. "But I believe Miss Caine and I bumped into each other the other day."

Roseanna choked slightly on her champagne, her mind flashing back to that day in the stationary store room. She waved her hands in protest, careful not to spill the contents of her glass. "That wasn't…that wasn't how it looked!"

He held up a hand to show that he'd only been joking, smiling amicably. "I know, I know. It's lovely to meet you both properly…for a while there I thought Dick and Lew were keen to keep you to themselves."

"How rude of you, Lew," Annie joked, putting out a hand to meet Harry extended one with a shake. "It's lovely to meet you."

Harry leaned slightly towards Roseanna, lowering his voice. "I actually meant to speak to you sooner. I'm sorry to be so forward, but could I trouble you for an autograph?"

"Of course," Roseanna said, springing into action, then stopping. "Sorry, I don't have a pen on me at the moment."

"That's alright," He said, reaching into his back pocket. "I always carry one…and I just so happen to have a small bit of paper here."

"Convenient," Lew noted, raising his eyebrows in amusement.

Roseanna, shaking her head at Lew, took the paper and pen from Harry.

"Could you make it out to Kitty?" Harry asked, leaning over to get a good view of what she was writing.

"Sure," Roseanna said, scribbing _To Kitty_ at the heading. "That your girl back home?"

"No," Lew joked. "That's just what Harry goes by sometimes."

"You're a barrel of laughs today, Lew," Roseanna laughed, giving him a light puch in the arm.

"Yeah, she is," Harry said, staying on-subject. "She's a huge fan of yours…I am too, of course, but she's crazy for your music. Anyway, I'll be getting home to her soon and I'll be in the good books if I bring home your autograph."

"Well, it's my pleasure," Roseanna said, handing him back the signed piece of paper. "Do you want me to get you a glass?"

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm afraid I can't," Harry said apologetically, carefully tucking the paper into his back pocket again. "I have to organise some drills. No rest for some of us today. Thank you for the autograph, again."

"Nice to meet you," They waved him off.

Standing alone, just the three of the, Roseanna began to feel like a bit of a spare part with Annie and Lew, who'd already begun slinging flirtatious jibes at each other. What the hell, why shouldn't they get some alone time. "Excuse me, both of you, I'm going to enjoy the view and the remnants of my champagne."

Walking along the garden, she found a bench enclosed off from the rest of the garden by some tall shrubbery. Secluded and quiet for the most part. She settled herself down on the bench, happy that it was facing directly into the sun. Setting her glass down next to her on the bench, she reached into her clutch for her sunglasses, placing them over her eyes as she leaned back to enjoy the sun. She must have been there for about twenty minutes or so when she heard the sound of heavy army boots on the grass next to her.

"What are you doing out here?" Dick's voice rang out softly, etched slightly with concern. "Everything alright?"

"Oh," She said, realising her was there and taking off her sunglasses. "Yes, I'm fine. Just enjoying the view in peace and quiet. Take a seat."

As she patted the seat next to her, he sat down. "Not enjoying the party?"

"No, it's a lovely party," She reassured him. "I just wanted to give Annie and Nix some time alone, and I found this nice, secluded spot. So you finally got to the end of that queue of people."

"Not quite," He laughed. "Postponed for another day. Work never seems to finish around here. Sorry I haven't had much of a chance to speak to you."

"That's alright," She waved a hand dismissively. "I know you have work to do."

"Right, and I'm afraid that, right now, I have to head down to the airfield with Lieutenant Lipton. Still…," He bit his lip, anxiously. "I was wondering, though, whether you might want to…if you want to…join me for a walk down by the water later tonight? Sorry, I'm not very good at this."

She bit her lip, trying to hide her delight. "I'd really like that."

"Alright," He said, sighing, seemingly a little relieved. "I'll meet you a little later, then. I suppose you'll be in your…."

"…in the office, yes," She confirmed, fingering her glass nervously.

…………………………….

Making sure she stayed in the office so that she'd be there when Dick arrived, Roseanna, in a bid to keep herself busy, had decided to clean the place top to bottom. Perhaps it was a way of combating the butterflies that were flying en masse in her stomach. She tried to tell herself that she wasn't nervous, yet then had to remind herself that she'd just touched up her lipstick and powder for the fifth time. Having run out of things to do, she desperately searched for something to do. Sitting at a table, she decided to try finally writing to her father but, putting pen to paper, she couldn't force herself to do it. Writing to him made her think of going back to New York and, right now, that was a thought that made her stomach lurch slightly. _No_, she thought bitterly, pushing the paper away, she only wanted to think of the haven that she was in at the moment. She shuddered, jumping in her chair as Annie startled her by appearing round the doorframe.

Annie laughed. "Sorry. Did I scare you?"

"Only a little," She replied, a hand over her chest.

"Well, Lew and I are going to get some dinner and then head back down for a dance to the party, which is still going, by the way. I think it's going to be a good night. I thought that we could get some of our records out. Interested?" Annie asked, hoping to tempt her friend out of the room.

"No, it's alright, but thanks anyway," She shook her head, giving Annie an excited smile. "Dick and I are going for a walk down by the water."

"Oh," Annie's eyes lit up. "How exciting. Well, have fun."

"I will," Roseanna replied, suddenly remembering a thought she'd had earlier and shouting Annie back. "Annie!"

"Yes?"

"I had a thought today when Lew said that Don Malarkey was being moved on to Paris. He's been with the company a long time. I was thinking that we should maybe organise a little leaving night for him. Nothing big, just the boys from Easy,"

"Don Malarkey…," Annie bit her lip, frowning. "Which one is he?"

"The redhead Dick was talking to today at the party," She explained.

"Oh, ok yes, I know that one," Annie nodded. "Well, alright, if you think it's a good idea. We'll get on it tomorrow. Good luck…and don't do anything I wouldn't do."

……………………………………..

Tie removed and his top button undone, Dick walked, arm-in-arm in a gentlemanly fashion, with Roseanna down towards the water. "Did you enjoy the rest of the party?"

"I didn't stay much longer, but yes. Annie seems to think it might go on late into the night," Roseanna said, distracted by the box that Dick was carrying in his other hand.

"I should imagine it will," He nodded, raising his eyebrows.

"What's in the box?" She couldn't stop herself from asking.

"Oh, this?" He asked, holding it up slightly. "It's just some cake from the party."

"Cake?" Her eyes lit up. "There was cake at the party? Wow, they find the good food for the bigwigs, huh?"

"Apparently, so," He laughed. "I figured you wouldn't have had a chance to get some."

"Very nice of you," She said, impressed.

"Well, there wasn't a florist on hand," He joked. "So I had to work with what I had."

"There are flowers right there," She challenged jokingly, pointing to some weeds in the ground that had blossomed pale yellow blooms.

Dick eyed them doubtfully. "I think you'd still prefer the cake. Am I wrong?"

"Fortunately, you're not," She laughed. "Good intuition, actually. I'm a huge fan of cake. I think cake will one day be my downfall."

"Well, we wouldn't want that to happen," He smiled. "Maybe I should take this away."

"Don't you dare," She waggled a finger on her free hand at him.

Approaching their usual, secluded part of the water, they sat down side-by-side on the wall. As Dick opened the box of cake and got out some napkins that he'd brought with him to act as makeshift plates, Roseanna looked across the water, where the garden terrace was visible, along with all of it's partygoers. She smiled to herself as the strains of Glen Miller drifted over from across the water. _Annie_, she thought to herself, laughing quietly to herself. She blinked, making out the shapes of several young women in their best Sunday dresses, parading around the deck.

"Say, Dick," She said, turned to him and taking the cake as he offered it to her. "Who are all of the young women over there.

He squinted his eyes, trying to make out the shapes in the distance that she'd identified. "Oh, I think some of the officers have been getting to know some of the local girls from the farming communities."

"That's nice," She said, closing her eyes for a moment, enjoying the music, her shoulders involuntarily shaking.

"Remind you of back home?" He asked, amused.

She opened her eyes. "No, not at all. Glen Miller was just a musical genius."

"Do you like the cake?" He asked.

Breaking off a small piece, she put it in her mouth, breaking into a smile. It was only a simple jam sponge cake, yet to her it was heaven. "Wow. I mean really, wow. It's the little things that you miss, huh?"

"Tell me about it," He laughed, taking a bite of his own. "Still, I'm sure you'll get plenty of that back home at your big parties."

She shuddered involuntarily again. "I suppose."

He sighed, moving a little closer to her. "So what are you going to do when this is all over? Back to the farm? Or back to the bright lights of show business?"

She shrugged, staring uneasily into the water. "I don't really know. Maybe I'll go back to college and…well, it's just an idea."

"You know what a good singer you are, and you seem to really love it," He coaxed gently, blushing slightly. "I mean, every time I've seen you sing out here you really seem to love it, the look on your face seems to suggest…well, that's what I've noticed."

She grinned for a second, touched that he'd noticed that. Sighing, she looked down, clasping her hands together on her lap. "I love to sing. I always have. What I don't like is the world that surrounds it, everything that comes with it. The importance of reputation, the media frenzy, playing happy families, it being so difficult to have a private life. I never wanted any of that, it was just plunged upon me by my stepmother but, like I said, you can't have one without the other."

"You can't?" He frowned.

"You can't make it as a singer without investing yourself entirely, not just your voice," She explained. "Show business doesn't work like that."

"Surely anything's possible," He reasoned.

She shook her head. "No. For people to really attach emotionally to what you're singing and what you have to say for yourself in your songs, they need to feel some kind of connection to you as a person. Hearing your music makes people want to find out more about you, get under your skin. Look at my father. I think there are some fans out there who know more about him than _I_ do."

Dick looked at her, a sceptical look still etched on her face.

"Look at it this way," She shifted positions to face him. "When you heard the Caine sisters on the radio for the first time…you bought the records and the rags at the same time, didn't you?"

He opened his mouth to protest but then promptly closed it. She had a point. Instead, he looked away.

She grimaced, worried she'd weighted down the mood. She chirped. "So what about you, anyway? Are you going to stay in the army?"

He shook his head almost instantaneously. "I've had enough of war."

"Understandable," She smiled lightly, patting his hand. "So then what will you do?"

"_Well_," He inhaled deeply, pondering. "Lew offered me a job for a start in his family business."

"He did," She asked, interested. "What kind of business are they in?"

"It's a Nitration Works," He explained, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Glamorous," She joked, digging him lightly in the ribs.

"Well," He tutted at her, smiling. "It's put a lot of money in the Nixon Family bank account."

She studied his face, frowning. "Do I sense a _but_ coming along?"

He bit his lip. "Do you remember what I wrote to you in one of my letters, about finding a small, place in the country."

"I do," She nodded, cocking her head to one side. "That's still the dream, then?"

"It is," he nodded, bashfully. "I want a quiet life…after all of this."

"No one could blame you," She smiled lightly. "Hell, _I _can't fault you. It sounds idyllic to me. I might have to come and visit you for some peace and quiet when you get everything set up."

"Well, perhaps I'll invite you," He teased.

Feeling oddly confident, she asked boldly. "You're not suggesting that you might want to stay in contact when this is all over, are you?"

"Well," He said, reddening slightly as he tried to appear casual by holding up his hands. "_Someone's_ got to look out for you from time to time, making sure you don't run away and fall asleep down by water. New York's a big place, and the Hudson is a dangerous river."

She beamed. "Well, all joking aside, thank you for the sentiment. I'm glad you told me that."

"Why?"

She looked at him for a moment, his handsome face illuminated in part by the moonlight and in part from the lights from the party across the water. "Well, because I'd quite like you to stay in my life, Dick Winters."

Moving subconsciously closer to her, he, in a bold act for him, reached out and took her hand, faintly stroking it. "You know, I'll probably have to pinch myself later so that I can remember that Roseanna Caine _actually_ said those words to me."

She let her fingers interlock with his, gripping his hand gently. She noticed that perhaps for the first time her butterflies has dissipated. They were just gone. In their place was a feeling of comfort and general elation. It was quite a bold display of affection for both of them, truth be told, yet, sitting down by the water in what seemed like a fairytale setting with the water, the lights and the music, it felt like anything was acceptable. Sidling closer, she seized the opportunity to lay her head gingerly on his shoulder, closing her eyes as the music chained to the soft tones of Vera Lynn's "We'll Meet Again". _How appropriate_, she though to herself. She couldn't help but let out a little laugh.

"What?" He asked, his voice dropping almost to a whisper.

"New York City and the rural countryside," She repeated. "If ever two worlds didn't mesh...ours sure don't seem to."

Dick was silent for a moment, before placing a gentle kiss on the top of her head, inhaling the scent of her perfume. "Everywhere is just a train or bus ride away."


	29. Chapter 29 Home Run

**Falling Star Chapter 29**

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**Note- Heey, sorry to be so late with the updates but classes have started up again and the work is piling on like a beast already since it's my last year. My dissertation is due in at the end of this month too, eek. So I might not be able to update as often as I'd like until the end of October (then I'll be back to normal, haha) but I'll try my hardest to keep the updates coming nice and regularly. In my plan for this story, there are only 2-3 chapters remaining (plus a possible Christmas special, haha) so we're getting there. Plus, I already have an idea for another story but I'm waiting until I finish this one, since I already have another unfinished one as well. **

**Thank you as always for the reviews. I absolutely love reading critique and/or praise for the story :D. Thanks to everyone that's left me a wee message. Hope you enjoy the chapter.**

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_**July 27**__**th**__**, 1945- Zell Am See**_

"Mail call," Annie said, floating into Roseanna's room, brandishing a package. Walking over to the bed, she promptly threw it onto the girl still slumbering beneath her covers.

"Ow," Roseanna groaned, sitting up, her head reeling as the package made direct contact with it. She gingerly took the package in one hand, her other caressing her head. "Thank you very much for that."

"Sorry, accident," Annie grimaced, sitting down on the bed next to her. "Why's your father sending you such a big package anyway?"

"Let's see, shall we," She replied, shaking her head at Annie impatience. She tore into the package, disregarding the letter tucked inside, distracted by the bigger object that fell out. Squinting, she noticed that it was one of the daily news rags from back home. Emblazoned across the front page was a picture of Lola, winking in front of a microphone, text at the side boldly proclaiming **The Rise and Rise of Lola Caine. **Roseanna didn't even need to locate the page for herself, as it had already been handily dog-eared for her by whoever had decided to put the magazine into her father's package. Opening the page, she was barraged immediately by numerous pictures of her stepsister. Groaning, she immediately handed it over to Annie. It was too early for this. "Look at this."

Annie, intrigued, took the magazine, scanning the page, actually bothering to read the words accompanying the text. She blew out a deep breath. "Looks like Lola's doing well for herself back home. Ha, listen to this. Listen to what the Journalist has written! _When asked about her sister, Roseanna Caine, who is currently still serving with the USO in Europe, Lola says plainly that the family misses her. She doesn't deliberate over the issue too quickly, however, quickly changing the course of the topic onto the newly redecorated Caine Family Mansion_. She hasn't changed then, I see. Seriously, she must be dealt with when we get back home. I can't wait to organise the Roseanna Caine comeback."

"If there is one," Roseanna said, pushing the covers back, climbing out and reaching for her robe.

"There won't be?" Annie blinked over the top of the magazine. "Don't say that. You're the only tool I have in my arsenal against this girl."

"Oh, I'm sorry to inconvenience you then," Roseanna rolled her eyes as she playfully tossed one of her pillows at Annie.

Annie dodged the incoming pillow, the magazine still tightly gripped between her fingers. "You know what I meant. So you're really putting me out of a job then?"

"I think you'll be fine, still having all of the other Caines' whims to cater to," She laughed, throwing on her dressing robe as she pulled the curtains open to reveal another beautiful day.

"Oh, I know," Annie nodded. "It should be a blessing if anything but, really…you've decided then? Dick's won you over?"

"Dick hasn't done _anything_," She said, sitting back down on the bed, covering up a smile.

Annie waited a moment. "Liar."

"Well, then let's just say he's making me realise what all of my options might be."

"Hmm, the bright lights or the country," Annie raised her eyebrows, her eyes going back to the magazine article. "Oh, it looks like Lola's involved with someone. The fella from _Worlds Apart._"

"I liked that movie," She bit her lip pensively. "Poor guy, wonder how she managed to entrap him. Probably looked at her during a full moon."

Annie laughed, glancing over the pages again and letting out a sigh. "Still, looks like she's having a whale of a time back home."

"I'm sure she is," Roseanna nodded, looking out of the window into the distance before closing her eyes against the bright sunshine. "Still, I wouldn't trade places with her for anything in the world."

Annie sighed happily, a soft look on her face as she put her head on her friend's shoulder. "Spoken like a true woman in love."

…………………………………..

_**July 29**__**th**__**, Zell Am See**_, _**1945**_

Roseanna wiped at her forehead with her forearm, stressed, as she wrestled with the chicken wire fence that was adamant that it was going to fall down. Sighing, frustrated, she mimicked the words she'd uttered far too quickly not even fifteen minutes previously. "_No, Annie, don't worry. You go and find Lew. I can handle this fence all…by…my…self…argh."_

She leaped back as half of the fence dipped forward, uprooted. She threw her hands up in despair. She flopped onto the ground, her muscles fatigued from trying to hold up the fence, covering her eyes from the glare of the sunshine with her forearms. She was so distracted that she didn't hear the jeep quietly pull up nearby. She only caught on when she felt something stroking at her forearms over her eyes.

"Well, well, well, Miss Wilkes, have you just gone and fainted at my…," He stopped, his face aghast as Roseanna pulled her arms away to reveal that it was her. "Oh my God!"

He jumped back, his eyes raised in alarm. "Roseanna! What are you doing…? I'm sorry, I thought that you were…."

She stood up, dusting herself off and holding up a hand to silence him. "I know what you thought, Lew, but…how?"

He took off his sunglasses, motioning to them. "These damn things make red hair look brown, I guess. And you're face was covered so…sorry."

"Don't worry about it," She shook her head at him. "So you're looking for Annie?"

"Yeah," He said, replacing the sunglasses on his face. "Seen her around?"

"She's back at the hotel somewhere," She replied, getting back to work on the fence, trying to hoist it back up. "Looking for you actually."

"Well I should go and end that search for her," He joked, frowning at the strain on Roseanna's face as she tried to upright the fence. "Need a hand?"

"Does it look like it?" Roseanna said dryly, her expression promptly softening. "I mean…yes, please!"

He pulled at the fence from the other end and, together, they managed to keep it balanced.

"Thank you," She smiled gratefully at him. "So much for Lewis Nixon not doing manual labour."

"Hell, Lewis Nixon doesn't," He joked. "If Lewis Nixon needs something fixed he hires someone to do it."

"I see," She gasped mockingly. "So what made you change your mind?"

"Hell, you look desperate," He shrugged. "And it'll make me look good in front of Annie later when I tell her."

"Aww, well you're just all heart, aren't you?" She rolled her eyes.

"But, honestly, I don't know what the hell this thing even is so…I don't know what I can actually do to help you," He looked at her sceptically

"Aren't you the intelligence officer, Lew?" She teased him. "Don't worry, you just hold this thing straight whilst I fix it at the bottom."

"Aye, aye," He sighed, looking down as she began using a hammer with, what looked like to him, some degree of precision. "Hey, if you're stuck for something to do after the war, you should consider construction."

"That's what I've always wanted to do! Singing was, of course, just a back up career!" She joked, biting her lip suddenly. "So what are _your_ plans when this is all over?"

"Back to the family business, I suppose," He shrugged.

"Oh, Dick mentioned your family business," She said, playing dumb. "It's a nitration works, isn't it?"

"One and the same," He nodded.

"And possibly even Dick's future employer?" She pressed apprehensively.

He looked down at her, raising an eyebrow. "Possibly. Why, what did he say?"

"Nothing, just told me that you'd offered him a job," She shook her head nonchalantly.

"Well, it's only in New Jersey," He said, as though he'd read her mind somehow.

She took a breath, pausing for a moment before continuing. "What's it like there?"

…………………………………………

_**August 1**__**st**__**, 1945- Zell Am See**_

It was a highly informal little gathering, just those Easy Company soldiers who'd managed to escape being on duty and the Officers who'd manage to find the time to attend. Still, every Easy man had striven to ensure his presence, such was the admiration for Don Malarkey.

"Shhhh, everyone!" Roseanna hissed to the room, flipping the light switch off as she heard footsteps approaching the room. "I can hear them. They're coming."

"Really, ma'am, I'd really like to help you put that shelf up but I _do_ have a lot of packing still to do and," Don's voice said, stopping as he turned the corner to be confronted with the suddenly harshness of the light which had been promptly switched back on, his corneas adjusting quickly enough to take in the sight of the Easy men in front of him. He raised his eyes. "What's this?"

"Just a little _Goodbye, Don_ gathering," Roseanna explained, patting him. "Or, should I say _Bon Voyage_, _Don_."

"Well, hell," He said, stepping further into the room, looking around. "You didn't all have to go to this kinda trouble."

"We heard there'd be cake!" Liebgott called out sarcastically from somewhere in the room.

"Funny, Joe," Roseanna rolled her eyes, casting an apologetic look at Don. "Sorry, there _isn't_ actually a cake."

"I'm sure you'll get plenty of that in Paris, Don," Annie piped up from the corner of the room.

"There is this, though," She beamed, reaching for the shelf behind her and holding up two bottles of VAT 69, prompting cheers all around. She winked at Nix out of the corner of her eye. "Kindly donated by an unnamed source."

Nix rolled his eyes, blowing air out of his mouth bitterly. That was the last time he'd let Annie name the stakes in _any_ bet. Looking out of the corner of his eye, he saw her shoot him a little look of triumphant, making him shake his head and look away.

Handing the bottles to Johnny Martin, she let him take over proceedings, slipping further to the back of the room. This was their moment, these men.

"Not late, are we?" Harry asked, briskly entering the room, Dick in tow. Harry eagerly took the small glass of whisky offered to him. "Not too late for the booze, anyway!"

Dick politely declined the whiskey, catching Roseanna's eye as she involuntarily waved at him from the back. He made his way over to their group at the back.

"No Lieutenant, course you're not too late," Malarkey smirked at Harry. "Never to late to sing my praises."

"What, for being a lucky bastard and makin' it through the war alive?" Harry teased, cupping his glass.

"Yeah, looked doubtful, didn't it?" Liebgott teased, piping up from further back. "I, for one, though he was a goner that first day when he tried to frisk a German corpse for a damn luger, while the fuckin' krauts were shootin' at him!"

"Yeah, well, running into the line of fire and makin' it back to tell the story," He held his hands up, as though to receive rapturous applause. "I s'pose I must be the luckiest bastard! I'll drink to that!"

"To Malarkey, fellas," Johnny said, holding up his glass as a model for the others to follow, saluting Malarkey with it before necking the contents, the men around him all doing the same. _Hip, Hip, Hoooraaay!_

Perco grimaced against the bitterness of the whiskey, shaking his head animatedly as though to combat it. A wide grin spread over his face. "How about another round?"

As Johnny made the rounds, keep a safe guard on the bottle, pouring a small measure into each of the glasses, Harry made his way to the back of the room towards the small group at the back, his cheeks already growing rosier from the little nip of whiskey. "Good party, ladies. And Nix, old buddy, thank _you_ for the whiskey."

Nix suppressed a smile, trying his best to look hard done by. "Yeah well, enjoy it."

"I have," Harry joked, punching him teasingly on the arm.

"Careful, Harry," Dick teased, flashing a semi-warning look at his friend. "I expect all of these men to be fit for drills tomorrow."

"Aye, aye," Harry rolled his eyes, saluting, holding his empty glass out for Johnny to fill as he passed by.

Roseanna laughed. "All you'll be fit for tomorrow is your bed! It doesn't look like you can hold your drink there, Harry."

"Coming from…," Lew teased, pointing a finger crookedly at her.

"So what time does Malarkey leave tomorrow?" She said, briskly changing the subject.

"He should be out of here by 8 sharp tomorrow morning…," Dick spoke up from beside her. "If he makes it, that is."

"I'm sure he…," Roseanna stopped, feeling the tips of Dick's fingers lightly intertwining with her own. It was a gentle movement, out of sight of the others. A moment just for the two of them. She began to softly return the movement, their fingers grazing each others as their arms touched side-by-side. She carried on talking all the while, as though nothing was going on. "I'm sure he will."

"I'll see to it that he does," Dick said, nodding. They weren't even looking at each other, not needing to. Their fingers saying volumes for their unspoken desire for each other.

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_**August 15**__**th**__**, 1945- Zell Am See- Baseball Diamond**_

"There she is," Annie said, shaking her head and indicating to her watch to Roseanna as she approached the crowd of men in their PT gear, all ready for the first game of baseball.

"Hold your horses, I'm here now," Roseanna joked as she strolled casually towards them, dressed in her casual clothes herself, the baseball bat slung nonchalantly over her shoulder. She indicated to it. "Besides, you couldn't have started anyway without this."

"You're playing?" Bull asked, cigar still firmly lodged between his lips as he looked at her sceptically.

"Course I am. I spent long enough workin' on this damn thing so why should I miss out?" Roseanna put a hand firmly on her hip, shaking her head disappointingly at Annie, who had actually dressed _up_ for the occasion. Skirt, heels and the whole shebang. "…and _she_ was supposed to be playing, too."

"Oh," Annie said, suddenly taking on an air of cluelessness. "I didn't think that you were serious when you suggested that."

"Don't be so chicken," Roseanna scolded. "Go and get changed!"

"Oh no, my dear. I don't play," Annie replied, channelling Lew's reaction to DIY. She indicated to the officers who'd come down to watch the spectacle, leaning or sitting on their jeeps. "I'll be over there, cheering you on."

"You do know _how_ to play, right?" Luz interjected, looking squarely at Roseanna.

"Of _course _I know how," She said uncomfortably as she tossed the bat to the ground. "…I mean, how hard can it be."

"Oh, Jesus," Liebgott grimaced at that last statement, picking up the bat and practicing his grip.

"So, whose team am I in?" She asked animatedly, trying to get them all in the spirit.

Johnny and Bull, elected team captains, looked blankly at one another, as if trying to telepathically persuade the other. Eventually Bull sighed, relenting. "We're one short, you'd better come with us."

"Alright then," She said, clapping her hands animatedly as she jogged alongside Bull's team, which was beginning to line up to bat.

Perco sidled up to her, lowering his voice. "We're batting. That means we're trying to score runs."

"Yes, thank you, Frank," She shook her head. ?"

"Ladies first," Bull said, holding the bat out to her.

"Such a gentleman," She said, taking the bat and gripping it tightly between her fingers. She'd seen them do that at baseball games she'd gone to with her father when he'd been invited to sit in the Executive seats.

"I'll go easy on ya," Johnny teased, calling out to her as he prepared to bowl.

"Well now, saying that is just going to spur me on further," She said, preparing herself for the incoming throw.

He threw it towards her, she caught it in her eyeline, following it until it was out of sight. It had zoomed right past her, slamming into the fence. She let out a frustrated sigh.

"Strike one!" Buck called, matter-of-factly.

Second throw, same thing.

"Strike two!"

"Come on Roseanna," Annie called out from the sidelines. "Feel the rage, pretend it's something that you hate! You're angry at the ball! You want to do some serious damage to the ball!"

Roseanna tightened her grip on the bat with steely resolve. As Johnny released the ball, sending it hurtling towards it, in her mind it seemed to suddenly take the shape of Lola's face, coming ever closer to her. Closing one eye, she took aim…and swung. _Crack_. She felt direct contact, both of her eyes springing open as she saw the ball flying towards the outfield. She pumped her fist into the air, prompting encouraging cheers from her teammates.

"I hit it!" She cried out triumphantly.

"Ruuuun!" Perco shouted out, waving his hands erratically at her.

"Right, run!" She said, suddenly springing into action, dropping the bat to the ground as she began to run. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, feeling the wind whipping her ears as she went. Running so fast, she couldn't make out any sounds except from those shouts of encouragement. Despite herself, as she passed second and made her way to third, she couldn't help but laugh. She felt so free there in that moment. She could barely believe it when she passed third, home base clearly in sight. Putting all of the power into her legs, seeing the ball being passed amongst the men and slowly making it's attempt to catch up to her, she hurtled forward, sliding along the sand and into home base just before Buck managed to catch the ball.

"Home run!" George shouted, his eyes raised in surprise.

"Well I'll be damned," Bull said, reaching out a hand to help pull her to her feet.

"Thank you," She beamed, letting him hoist her up. She dusted the sand off of her t-shirt and trousers, not particularly minding the mess at that moment. "Many strings to my bow, Bull. That was fun."

"Credit where it's due," Bull nodded politely, taking his turn to bat.

"Beat that," She challenged teasingly, taking her seat amongst the patiently awaiting batters.

Speirs' rough voice suddenly boomed out, calling for them to gather up. She whipped her head round, to see that Dick and Lew, in full attire, had pulled up in a jeep and were making their way across to the other Officers. She made her way towards them along with everyone else, her appearance prompting a somewhat surprised yet amused expression from Dick as she took a seat next to everyone else.

"Listen up. I've got some news," Dick cleared his throat, raising his voice so that everyone could hear him. "This morning, President Truman received the unconditional surrender from the Japanese."

There was a silence amongst the men, a silence with baited breath.

"War's over," He finished, looking around at all of his men.

There was no immediate sense of elation as one might've expected. Collectively, there was merely a stunned silence. Perhaps some couldn't quite believe it, perhaps some dared not to. Perhaps for some it was merely sinking in slowly, after having waited so long to hear the words just uttered. Whatever their reason, he'd said what he'd said. Roseanna had felt that immediate burst of happiness in her stomach at the news, just as she imagined everyone would but, for her, it was tinged slightly with sadness. The war was over? Back to New York.

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That night, for the most part, the mens' duties had been allowed to be overcome by celebration. Why shouldn't they celebrate the end of the war and their chance to finally get home to their loved ones and the lives they'd left on pause to come over and fight this war. The girls' records came very much in handy to aid these celebrations, and music passed through every corridor of the hotel, from the upbeat tempo of the Andrews Sisters' to the dulcet tones of Jimmy Durante, to the patriotic bursts of their proud national anthem. One hell of a party was beginning to form itself in the main lobby and, in their droves, assigned staff throughout the hotel were making their way down towards it. Roseanna, however, passed by them all, instead making her way up the stairs, stopping just outside of Dick's office. She slipped inside the door, making her way over to the balcony. She lingered by the balcony door, merely watching him staring out onto the lake, hands inside of his pockets, the moon shining off of his light hair, making it seem darker.

"Not going to the party?" She asked, breaking the silence (save for the music straining up towards them).

He turned round upon hearing her voice, smiling fondly at her when he saw that it was, indeed, her. "Maybe in a little while. What about you? Not celebrating that home run?"

She waved a hand dismissively, joking. "That little, old home run? That's old news by now. There are seemingly bigger things to celebrate now."

"Not happy that the war's over?" He asked sarcastically, smiling as he beckoned her over to him.

"Very happy," She said, her voice dropping to a whisper as she gently slipped her arms around his waist, looking up at him. "Just sad to be leaving this beautiful place."

He gentle stroked her forearms as he pulled her ever-so-slightly closer to him. "I'm sure there views as nice as this back home."

"Maybe," She wrinkled her nose, laughing. "But we should take a photograph…just in case."

"Deal," He nodded, his eyes twinkling. He gave her forearms a gentle, fond squeeze as he let his gaze drift back out over the water. "Back home, huh?"

"Shhhhh," She said, relasing one hand momentarily from around his waist to put a finger to his lips. "Let's not think about that tonight. Let's just enjoy the celebrations."

"Okay," He said, looking back at her, letting his eyes drift down towards her torso. She'd dressed up for the evening, and he couldn't help thinking how beautiful she looked. "What do you want to do then? Go downstairs?"

"Mmmmm…no," She said, stroking the small of his back with the free thumb of her hands which clasped together round his waist. "I don't want to do that."

"Then what?" He asked, his spine tingling in response to her slow, soft thumb movements. Desire for her coursing through his body.

"I want to stay with you tonight…in your room," She said, adding the last part tentatively, her eyes drifting up towards his to convey just how serious she was.

His body stiffened slightly, like she'd just read his mind. Still, he wanted to be sure that it was what she wanted too. He lightly stroked one of her cheeks with his thumb. "Are you sure?"

She smiled, not wanting to tell him how sure she was, but rather wanting to _show_ him how sure she was. "Dick, just kiss me."

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	30. Chapter 30 Coming home

**Falling Star Chapter 30**

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Howdy! I'm sorry that I've disappeared over the past few weeks. Uni work has been absolutely mental and it's still piling up. I had to hand in my dissertation, so that's what I've been spending all of my time on recently. It's all handed in now though, so I should have much more time for fanficking (yes, a new verb :P). Hopefully some of you will still be happy to keep up with the story (which, actually only has one more chapter left to go :o). I'm planning some Christmas specials of my other stories for over the festive period, just some little oneshot type things. Basically, it's just a chance for me to write about Christmas because I LOVE Christmas. I'm excited already, how about you guys?

PS- I've gotten behind on my fanfic reading too, but I'm getting on it so expect reviews soon : )

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_**August 16**__**th**__**, 1945- Zell Am See**_

Roseanna's gaze drifted over to the window, to the sunshine beginning to stream inside. She couldn't help but smile, blinking as the light pierced her eyes. She'd been awake for the last half an hour, waiting for the sun to come up. In truth, she couldn't sleep. Her gaze drifting back to the sigh of Dick lying next to her, his nose inches away from her and his arm draped protectively around her waist as he slumbered, she sighed deeply, peacefully. She felt like, in some way, that a part of her had been filled. She'd never felt so close to someone as she had last night, so connected, mentally as well as physically. She watched the sun casting a shadow over his face, her eyes following the contours of it. She saw his eyes flicker, and her heart began to beat faster. No, he wasn't waking, simply stirring in his sleep. She breathed a sigh of relief. She almost didn't want him to wake. She didn't want to deal with what would come next. Here was an amazing man, a gentle man, the kind of man that every parent wants their daughter to end up with, but she knew that soon they'd be going home, and that she was liable to lose him as quickly as she'd found him again. She watched his chest, rising and falling, waiting for the moment when he'd inevitably rise from his slumber.

……………………

_**Later that day**_

Hands jammed firmly into the pockets and a towel slung over his shoulder, Dick sauntered down towards the water, humming as he went. He was slightly surprised. He rarely hummed. Yet the day, just as sunny as any other old day out here in Zell Am See, felt different somehow. He knew that it was because of the woman still slumbering in his bed. A girl sleeping so angelically that he wouldn't have woken for all of the tea in China. He walked down to the water's edge, completely unaware of Nix sitting down at the edge of the pier, his legs swinging in time to the gentle, warm breeze of the morning as he grasped a wine bottle in his right hand from the previous nights' celebrations.

"Careful, Dick," He piped up as the redhead approached. "You could berth a ship in that grin."

Dick looked over, alerted to Nix's presence. "You're up early."

"Haven't been to bed," Nix replied matter-of-factly, placing the bottle down onto the cool stone of the pier with a loud _clink_.

"Celebrations went on all night, huh?" Dick asked, squinting at his friend through the glare of the sun.

"Quite a party," Nix said, suppressing a sigh. "You didn't seem to be able to enjoy much of the party."

"I had a great night," Dick replied nonchalantly, feeling a grin itching to burst out onto his face.

"I can imagine," Nix smiled. He knew that Roseanna had sloped off to see Dick. He had a good idea of what had likely happened between them. He looked back out onto the water. "All these years…and it's all over."

"Yeah, I know," Dick said, relieving himself of his t-shirt wading into the water gently, letting his body get used to the cold water.

"So, New Jersey…," Nix bit his lip. "You thinkin' about it?"

Dick paused for a moment. "…yeah. I'm thinking about it."

Sensing Dick's pensiveness, Nix shifted in his seating position. "But…?"

He bit his lip, his eyes staring out into the water. "Everything feels different."

Nix raised an eyebrow. "Roseanna?"

"Well…," He paused again. "Yes."

"She asked me the other day what New Jersey was like…," Nix said.

"Really?" Dick asked, his eyebrows raising slightly. "What did you tell her?"

"I told her it wasn't quite New York City," Nix said, smiling gently.

"Thanks," He replied dryly, shaking his head slightly.

"No point in lying to her," Nix cocked his head to the side.

"She loves being at her grandparents' farm in Iowa," He replied pointedly. "That's hardly on a par with New York City."

"I suppose," Nix conceded, trying to the be the voice of reason. "But she can't sing in New Jersey."

Dick looked down. "Well, there's no reason she has to leave the City…but this is all just speculation, Nix. Who knows what will happen."

"You really think you could live in the city, Dick?" Nix said, staring at him sceptically.

Dick sighed, looking down. New York City wasn't a place he had ever particularly desired to live but, well, he supposed that maybe…for her. He shrugged his shoulders, trying to push everything to the back of his head. He flashed Nix a serious look to indicate that he didn't want to speak about it. "These aren't really issues that need to be addressed just yet. I'm just happy for now."

"I hear ya," Nix said, offering him a smile and standing up, never feeling as sluggish in his life as he had at that moment, feeling the fatigue of two long years.

Dick looked at him, smirking. "You awake yet?"

"Awake?" Nix stifled a laugh, preparing to jump impulsively into the water. "Time to go bed."

"Don't do it, Nix," Roseanna called out, appearing through the trees and into their vision. Her hair was still tousled from the night before and she'd thrown on some casuals and gently held a neatly folded town between her hands. "I'd hate to see that uniform get all wet…plus you don't have a towel, and you sure as hell aren't having mine."

Nix looked at the water, pondering. He shrugged his shoulders as she neared them. "I s'pose."

"I think you did him a favour," Dick piped up, his gaze meeting Roseanna's. Both of them smiled bashfully at each other.

Nix could've heaved at the sugary gaze between them, but thought better of it, electing instead to let them have their moment. He patted Roseanna on the back gently, turning on his heel. "I think I'll see what I can scrounge up in the mess hall instead. Have a nice swim, you two."

As he ambled back towards the forest, Roseanna and Dick looked at each other, Dick from the water, where only half of his body was visible, and Roseanna, teetering on the end of the pier on her tiptoes, her hands pressed firmly against her hips. They looked at each other, unable to suppress the smiles on their faces.

"So," Roseanna said, breaking the silence and indicating to the water. "This is why you left me this morning?"

"I didn't want to wake you," He blushed, wanting to tell her that he'd been unable to stop looking at her and going for a swim was the only way the he could stop. "I kept fidgeting and I worried I was going to wake you up."

"You do fidget a _lot_," She teased. "You have so much responsibility out here that you can't even relax in your sleep. Maybe that'll change when you get back home."

"Here's hoping," He said, moving gently and causing several splashes to come up. He bit his lip, working up the courage to bring up the previous night. "Roseanna, um…about last night."

She felt a sudden sensation of dread in her stomach. Did he regret it? "Yes?"

"I just wanted to apologise if you…perhaps…felt that it was too soon," He said, feeling his cheeks redden. "And I just hope that you don't think badly of me. I don't normally…."

"Too soon…," She echoed, having to suppress a laugh. "Dick, it takes two to tango. I was there, too."

He nodded.

"And I don't regret it," She said, firmly. "I wanted to."

"No?" He asked, feeling hopeful, looking up and catching her eye. "I don't regret it either."

Roseanna laughed. "You know, if you'd just kissed me in Bastogne then we could've gotten all of this out in the open much sooner."

"Shame on me," He shook his head playfully. "But, like I've said before…Nix is the Intelligence Officer…not me."

"Too bad," She smiled jokingly, rocking gently back and forth on her tiptoes as she looked down into the water. "Think you could catch me if I jumped off of the pier."

"Are you challenging me?" He raised an eyebrow, feeling liberated by the sense of fun that she provoked within him.

"That's indeed a challenge," She said, over-exaggeratedly preparing for her jump. He readied himself for her, and she leapt, her feet kicking. She landed short of him, submerging entirely into the water. She came up, soaking, pushing the wet hair out of her eyes as she looked at him. "You're a terrible catch!"

"You're a terrible jump," He challenged back, reaching out a hand and gently pushing some stray bits of hair back out of her eyes and behind her ears. She tingled at his touch, reaching up and gently holding one of his hands as it caressed her cheek. The next thing that she knew the were nose to nose, both of them completely soaking but lost in the moment. He wrapped his arms around her, unable to stop the affection he felt her, soaking as she was. She leaned onto her tiptoes to get closer to his face, gently leaning in to kiss his lips. She pulled back, placing a hand on either side of tensed arms. "I suppose we have some decisions to make when we get home."

"We do," He nodded, pulling her in closer to an embrace, her face huddling into the crook of his neck and he ran a hand gently up and down her back. "But we don't have to decide anything right now. We're not home yet. We still have a few weeks together."

"So we should just enjoy it whilst we can." She said, her head rising and falling along with the rhythm of his respiring chest.

Enjoying the feel of each other, both of them couldn't help but feel a bit deflated, like they were trying to delay the inevitable. Could either of them really ask the other to put their life on hold so that the other could live the life that they wanted?

……………………………

_**September 10**__**th**__**, 1945**_- _**Boat en route to New York City**_

Leaning against the railing of the liner, Roseanna looked out onto nearing sight of New York City in the distance. It was small, but she could still see it coming at her in the cold, hard light of day. She sighed, pulling her coat tighter around her shoulders as she bent down, putting her head into her hands.

"Cheer up," Annie's voice broke out from behind her, following her gaze to the approaching land. "I know it's not Zell Am See, but it's the city that made us."

"I know, I know," Roseanna replied, flashing a cheeky smile to her friend as she leaning next to the railing next to her. "But wasn't it so much simpler in Zell Am See?"

Annie closed her eyes, smiling and breathing in the sea air. "It _absolutely_ was, but it was only every temporary…."

"You've changed your tune," She laughed. "You couldn't stand the thought of leaving Austria a few days ago."

"I know," Annie shrugged. "Something about New York City I suppose, it automatically makes me focussed and puts me into a working mode."

"Back to work then,"

"That's the plan," Annie smiled, looking out of the side of her eye. "Unless Lola, your father and yourself have found new representation."

"Well I don't know about _them_," She bit her lip. " But I don't know if I'll even need representation."

"Still thinking about the rural life?" Annie asked, intrigued. "Have these last few weeks in Dicks' arms swayed you?"

"Oh, Annie," She closed her eyes again, gushing as she reminisced. "They've been the most incredible weeks of my life. I've never laughed, smiled, played or made so much love before. I've let him in entirely."

"A little too much detail for my virgin ears," Annie joked, pretending to cover her ears.

She winked at her best friend. "Who are you kidding, Annie?"

"Yes, well…," Annie tried to change the subject. "A nitration works though, Rosie?"

"It doesn't really matter where we are…as long as he's there," She replied, looking across the deck to Dick, who was deep in conversation with some of the Officers.

"Enough to make you give up singing?"

Roseanna winced. "I don't want to…but… argh, help me decide, Annie!"

"I can't help you decide anything," Annie laughed, holding up her hands defensively. She cupped her hands round her mouth, shouting out. "Major Winters!"

Roseanna's eyes raised in alarm. "Annie, what are you doing!"

"Well, you don't need to be talking to _me_ about this," Annie put on a charming smile, waggling her fingers in a wave at Dick as he approached. She motioned him to look at the coastline. "Nearly home, look."

"I see that," He nodded, following her gaze. "Is that why you called me over?"

"Actually, I think she screeched you over," Roseanna rolled her eyes gently.

Annie flashed a grin at Roseanna, patting Dick on the back. "Actually, I think that she could use a hug. She's coming over all emotional."

With a final wave, Annie walked off, leaving the two of them alone, the coastline looming in front of them. Dick flashed a look of concern at her, leaning against the railing next to her. "Emotional?"

"She was exaggerating," She rolled her eyes, smiling and looking at the crowded deck behind them. "Don't worry, I know there are too many people here for that hug."

"Well," Dick reached out, gently and discreetly taking her hand as it gripped the railing firmly, stroking her fingers. "Maybe this will do."

She interlocked her fingers with his, meeting his eyes briefly before her gaze travelled back to the coastline, her lip quivering. "Anywhere but here, huh?"

"Hey, hey," He comforted her. "Don't get upset."

"I don't want to leave you," She whispered, her emotion raw within her as she looked at him, pleadingly. "Our lives are so different…."

"Yet somehow we managed to meet halfway across the world," He pointed out, managing to ease a smile out of her. "I think the fact that someone small-town like me managed to meet a starlet like you…in France of all places, shows that they world works in mysterious ways."

She beamed at him, her head leaning in the palm of her hand. "How do you always manage to cheer me up?"

He looked down. "Seriously though, I meant what I said the other night before we left Austria. Things _will_ be alright."

"And…and what about the other thing that you said before we left Austria," She teased gently, her heart thumping all the same. "Did you mean that?"

"I did," He nodded solemnly, gently caressing her fingers.

"Then say it, again," She bit her lip, beaming at him anxiously.

He smiled at her, unable to stop himself from doing so as he gripped her hand tighter, covering it in his own. How was she able to bring this out in him every time. He looked her square in the eye as he whispered. "I love you."

"I love you too, Dick," She smiled back, loving the sound of those words coming from his lips. She threw caution to the wind, leaning forward and quickly placing a soft kiss on his lips. She moved in closer to him, leaning her head against his shoulder as she looked back towards New York, whispering. "Whatever will be…"

………………………………

_**That night**_

Roseanna couldn't have guessed when she stepped off of the boat that, a few hours after a whirlwind reunion with her waiting family and a quick interview with the waiting paparazzi, that she'd be dressed up to the nines, in the back of a limousine with her family and Annie, on the way to one of New York's hottest nightspots, which her father had rented out in order to host a "Welcome Home" party for her and the company. It felt strange to be swapping her casual clothes for a floor-length, emerald-coloured ball gown, but she had to admit that she kind of liked it.

"I think that I should've arrived in my own limousine," Lola piped up from the other side of the vehicle, her arms folded as her lip curled up to one side in disgust. Her nose was clearly out of joint due to the attention that Roseanna had received upon her return back to the City.

"Don't be silly, Pumpkin," William tutted, fixing his tie. "The family has been reunited. We need to show solidarity."

Lola let out an audible _pffft_, which Annie and Roseanna ignored, rolling their eyes at each other. The car pulled to a stop, and they could already see the blinking lights of the photographers streaming in through the window, amidst their excited cries.

"Performance faces, Please," the stepmother warned, checking one last time that her hair was sitting right before motioning to the driver that he could get out and open the door for them. Roseanna stepped out first, shielding her eyes against the blinking lights, as her family joined her one-by-one. They posed for some photos, bearing wide-toothed grins on their faces.

"What are your upcoming plans, Miss Caine?" a journalist piped up from amidst the rabble.

Lola cleared her throat, "Well, I have several projects in the…."

"That was question for Roseanna," The journalist shouted out.

Lola's face fell, visibly. Roseanna couldn't help but stifle a grin as she cleared her own throat. "My plans are unclear as of yet. I just want to enjoy some time at home and being with my family before I come to any decisions."

"Any plans to record new material?" Another journalist chimed in.

She frowned. "Unclear, as of yet."

A few gasps came up from within the crowd, as another voice piped up. "Will you be singing this evening?"

William, a little shocked by his daughter's revelation, put a hand over his tie and spoke up. "Of course she will. She'll happily grace us with a performance, won't you darling?"

"I…," She said, losing her train of thought for a moment before flashing a smile. "Of course I will."

Politely bidding goodbye to the reporters, the Caines made their way inside the club. The party was already on top form, with the majority of Easy and various other guests already present, the alcohol flowing, and the big band in full swing. Roseanna made her way through the crowd, smiling at people as she passed. She was looking for Dick, but couldn't see him through the crowd. She'd been swept up into the furore waiting for the ship when they docked and had whisked away so promptly by her family that she'd lost sight of him and hadn't had the chance to say goodbye. She was worried by the fact that she missed him so much already, and it had only been a few hours. She sighed, stopping by the champagne fountain, where a waiter handed her a glass.

"Your father puts on one hell of a party," Nix's voice piped up from behind her, smiling as he motioned to the room around them. "I'm impressed."

"He does good work," She nodded, laughing. She looked at him, clean shaven and in his dress uniform. She whistled jokingly. "You scrub up well, Captain."

"Why thank you," He smiled, teasing. "And you, you look like a woman again!"

She feigned gratitude. "Why thank you. I should've known I'd find you by the booze."

"Touché," He laughed, admiring her ability to outwit him. He motioned to Dick, standing in the corner. "He's over there, by the way."

Roseanna frowned as she looked at Dick. He didn't look as though he was having any fun, like the enthusiastic dancers were making him uncomfortable and as though the music was too loud.

Lew sensed her worry. "He's probably just tired."

She shot a hopeful look at him. "Let's hope so. Annie's over there, by the way."

She walked over to him, his eyes lighting up as he saw her approach. She couldn't stop herself from throwing her arms around his neck, embracing him tightly.

"Cant…breathe," he joked, smiling at her and taking her hands gently as she released him. He drew in a sharp breath, standing back to take a look at her. "You look absolutely beautiful."

"Why thank you. Five hours, Dick," She held up her hands in a "5" motioned. "Five hours and I missed you like crazy."

"Feeling's mutual," He smiled, put his forehead against his. "I lost you in the crowd."

"I turned back and you were gone," She nodded. "That's New York, though. Enjoying the party?"

"It's nice," He smiled politely. "It was nice of your father to go to all of this trouble for the men."

"Don't be fooled," She joked. "He just _loves_ planning a party is all. So, is America how you remembered it?"

"Seems entirely different," he smiled, interlocking his fingers with her own. "Are you happy to be home after all?"

"Happy to see my father," She shrugged, smiling at her father chatting to the big band leader in the distance. "I suppose you can't wait to go home and see your family…after two damn years."

"You could say that," He said, shaking his head politely at a waiter who offered him a glass of champagne in passing. He bit his lip. "I'm actually… I have a ticket home tomorrow."

Her body tensed, her head whipping round to look at him. "What? I thought that…I thought that you were going to spend a few days in the city."

"My family booked the tickets as a surprise," He bit his lip. "They thought I'd want to get home as soon as possible."

"But…," She felt her eyes beginning to brim, but managed to control herself, taking a deep sigh. "It's been two years. They deserve to have you home."

"I'll come back, though," He promised, taking her hands in his own. "Or, I was thinking that, alternatively, you could always…."

"Mic check," William's voice boomed out over the room as they voice came to a halt, distracting everyone's attention towards the stage where he stood. "Good, you can all hear me. Now, first and foremost, I think a round of applause is in order for our returning heroes. That's right a big applause, a big applause. Welcome home, boys. Now, where is my daughter, my dear Roseanna."

A spotlight suddenly fixed itself on her, causing her to wince slightly in surprise. She gave a little wave to the room.

"There you are, Sweetheart. Come on now, get yourself on up here for a duet with your dear, old, father," He motioned for her to come over, before looking back at the crowd and emphatically putting his hands on his chest. "She's been away for months, my darling girl, and I've so missed singing with her."

Roseanna flashed an apologetic look at Dick, before slowly making her way up onto the stage, waving at the crowd as she went, the applause rapturous. She gave her father a warm hug onstage before the band started up behind them. She recognised the tune, instantly knowing the song. They'd sung it dozens of times before.

Dick watched her from the side, his lips pursed as he leaned against the wall in the shadows of the room. She looked entirely in her element on stage with her father, looking as beautiful and dressed up as she was. She belonged there. _Damn_, he thought to himself. Suddenly, the question he'd been about to ask her seemed pointless.

………………………….

Hand-in-hand, Dick and Roseanna traversed the chilly streets of New York City towards his hotel.

"Are you sure that you wanted to leave so soon," He asked her. "It was _your_ party."

"It wasn't just for me," She pointed out. "Plus, if you're leaving me tomorrow then I want to spend some time along with you. Besides, were you really having any fun there?"

"Of course I was," He insisted, looking at her as earnestly as he could.

She laughed fondly. "You're a terrible liar, Dick."

He laughed, defeated. "Alright, it's not an environment that I'm most comfortable in, but I wanted you to have a good time."

"I can't tell you how much I'm going to miss you," She frowned, looking down, gripping onto his hand as though she couldn't bear to let it go.

"I'll be back," He said, looking at her resolutely.

They entered the double doors of the grand _Mayfair Hotel_, making their way into the elevator. Alone in the secluded space, she spoke up. "What were you going to ask me at the party, before my father called me up on stage?"

He shook his head, having told himself not to ask her. "Nothing."

She frowned at him, as though reading his face. "No, it wasn't nothing. What was it, Dick?"

"Really, it's not important," He said earnestly.

"Dick," She said, her tone slightly warning. "Tell me."

He exhaled. "I was just going to suggest that, if you wanted to come with me to Pennsylvania…."

"Really?" She breathed, her eyes raising slightly.

"It was just a suggestion but, really, it's not important…I'll be back and…,"

"No," She silenced him, reaching out and taking his other hand. "I'll think about it."

"Really?"

"I really mean it," She said, smiling him as they got off at his floor. He led her to the door. "Let's just have a good night tonight."

He leant in, placing his hand on the back of her upper arms and pulling her gently into a kiss, enjoying their new-found privacy. As he kissed her, he manoeuvred her gently towards his hotel room door. He stopped suddenly, as he fumbled for his key. "Are you sure you want to come in?"

She wrapped her arms around his waist, looking at him amorously. "Open the door, Dick."

…………………………………

In the small hours of the morning, once again Roseanna found herself lying next to Dick, unable to sleep for staring at him. Watching his chest rising and falling rhythmically, she felt nothing but love for him. Her stomach, however, was in knots. She knew that in a few hours it would be sunlight, and that Dick would be leaving for his train. She had to decide whether or not to go with him. On paper, it was just a visit and she'd be back in New York within days. However, in her heart, she knew that it was a far bigger decision than it seemed. If she went with Dick to meet his family, she'd all but have decided on her future. If she met his family, it would cement their relationship to the extent that she'd essentially have chosen to give up singing in New York to follow him and his career. She could hear the first birds of the morning beginning to chirp outside. She had such a big decision to make, but what was she going to do?


	31. Chapter 31 Four Years On

**Falling Star Chapter 31**

…………………………….

_**December 17**__**th**__**, 1949- New York City**_

A hush fell over the auditorium. A hazy spotlight fell onto Roseanna as she counted the beats in her head, illuminating her in a smoky glow. She took her long, silk-gloved hand and brushed away a tendril of hair from her eyes. Leaning forward into the microphone, she opened her mouth to finish the song. "_And that I know for suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuure_."

Her voice rose high up to the heavens, and the auditorium filled with rapturous applause, as each spectator, one after the other, stood up, offering her a standing ovation. Her cheeks springing pink, she stepped out onto the edge of the stage, closing her eyes to soak in the applause and clasping her hands together in delight as she blew kisses out to the audience, the audience that had shown her so much admiration throughout the night. Offering a final wave, she gave a small curtsy before sidling off into the wings. Annie was waiting for her, clapping her hands together enthusiastically as she pulled Roseanna into a hug.

"A standing ovation, my goodness!" Annie squealed enthusiastically. "That was one of the best receptions you've ever had!"

"The man sitting in the front row," Roseanna bit her lip. "Wasn't he…wasn't that…?"

"The Mayor of New York City, yes," Annie winked at her, quickly checking her wristwatch. "Oh, we have to go!"

"That time already?" Roseanna said, surprised, as she reached for her thick fur coat, slipping it round her shoulders.

Annie patted her shoulder. "Two seconds. I'll tell the driver to bring the car around."

"Alright," She smiled, leaning against the wall, her cheeks still flushed from the performance.

"Excuse me, Ma'am," A voice piped up from nearby.

Roseanna looked over to the a young man, perhaps nineteen or so, with a broom in his hand. He was likely one of the stage hands. "Can I help you?"

He grinned sheepishly at her. "That was an excellent show you did tonight. I couldn't see it on account of my sweeping but I heard everything."

"Well thank you…," She paused. "What's your name?"

"Oliver, ma'am," He said, fiddling nervous with the tip of his broom.

"Well, thank you Oliver," She smiled at him. She frowned at the mess around them. "I'm sorry if my production team made a bit of a mess here, tonight."

"I don't mind, Ma'am," He shook his head. "Keeps me busy and outta trouble, or so my Ma says anyway. She's a big fan of yours."

"Is she now?"

"Oh, she is, Ma'am," He nodded, animatedly. "She couldn't believe when she heard that you were performing at the Astoria tonight. She, uh…she asked me to get an autograph if I was lucky enough to see you."

"Do you have any paper?" She asked, searching her own pockets but finding nothing but a pen.

"Here you go," He said, handing her an old receipt.

She began to scribble her name on the back. "What's your mother's name?"

"Annette," He said, his eyes alight. "Man oh man, she'll go crazy with excitement when she sees this!"

Roseanna smiled at him, happy to see how happy she'd made him. "Well then tell your mother that I'll arrange some complimentary tickets for the both of you when I'm back at the Astoria next month. How does that sound?"

"That sounds…are you kidding me?" He asked, eyes agog.

"No, 100% serious," She flashed him another grin. "I've written my manager's telephone number on the bottom. Annie Wilkes. Give her a call and she'll arrange everything for you."

"Oh wow, thank you so much M-," He said, pausing as Annie hurried back into the room, shivering as she shook snow out of her hair.

"Ready to go?" Annie called, looking at Roseanna expectantly and with some confusion at the small boy.

"I'm ready," Roseanna pulled her jacket tighter round her shoulders, offering a small wave to the boy. "Nice to meet you, Oliver."

"Just to warn you, Rosie," Annie said as both girls stood outside the door, her hand poised on the doorknob. "There are journalists and photographers outside."

"Aren't there always?" She laughed, quickly fixing her hair and checking her lipstick, before motioning to the door. "Come on, let's get it over with."

Annie opened the door, and their vision was suddenly bombarded by a series of flashing lights, coming from all around them, closely followed by the excited, screechy tones of the shouting journalists. Roseanna put on her showbiz face, smiling amicably at all of them.

"Roseanna will answer only a few of your questions tonight," Annie shouted out, clapping her hands together to get the attention of the rabble. "But _only_ a few, as we have an urgent engagement."

"Are you planning to do any touring in the new year?" The first of the journalists cried out, lunging forward into her personal space to make his question heard.

She took a step back, clearing her throat. "Nothing is set in stone, just yet. Right now I just plan to enjoy Christmas with the family, and then think about anything beyond that in the New Year."

"Roseanna, Roseanna, over here!" Another journalist waved his hand to get her attention. "What do you make of the recent breakdown of Lola Caine's second marriage to film director Howie Hewson?"

"Well, as we're both very busy, Lola and I don't get to see a lot of each other but, obviously, my heart goes out to her and I send her my best wishes."

"Do you know if there's any truth in the rumour that the reason he ended the marriage is that she displayed violent tendencies, given that it was reported that she injured him with a broken champagne glass in early October at the Caine Mansion."

Roseanna swallowed, wincing at the memory of the Caine Family Harvest Party. She shook her head, clucking her tongue. "All of that is just speculation. We can't believe everything that you boys write now, can we?"

"Well there _were_ several eyewitnesses," Another reporter chimed in, shaking his head. "Now, Roseanna, you said that she's still your stepsister _for the moment_. Does that mean that there is any truth in the rumours that your father's marriage is on the rocks, as it was reported in one newspaper today?"

"It was?" Roseanna raised her eyes, looking at Annie, who merely nodded her head discreetly. "Oh well, like I said, that's all just speculation. I don't like to comment on such matters."

"Alright then," Annie piped up, stepping between Roseanna and the blinking bulbs from the cameras. "I'm afraid that's all we've got time for this evening as Roseanna really does need to attend another appointment. Good evening, gentlemen."

Quickly, the two girls slid into the backseat of the waiting limousine.

Annie sighed deeply, singing into the comfortable leather. She looked over at the driver. "To the Station please, Henry."

As the car jolted into motion, Roseanna put her hands to her cheeks. "I'm still red-cheeked from the performance!"

"The wattage on those stage lights will do that to you," Annie chuckled, fiddling around in her purse and bringing out a ticket, handing it over to Roseanna. "There you go."

"Thank you," Roseanna said, taking them and accidentally catching a glimpse of Annie's watch as she did so. "Goodness, is it really so late?"

"Well, we've got you on the sleeper," Annie replied. "Private carriage and everything."

"Oh, you're too good to me, Annie," She joked, pulling out sunglasses from her purse and placing them over her eyes, accompanying with a wide-brimmed hat from her suitcase. "How do I look?"

"Wow," Annie said, letting out a mock gasp. "Who _are_ you?! Perfect disguise."

"Why thank you," She laughed, the car finally pulling to a stop outside of the train station.

Both girls emerged from the car, snowflakes beginning to fall gently from the sky on top of them. Shivering, Roseanna pulled Annie into a hug. "I'll see you next weekend, then?"

"Of course, train's all booked," Annie smiled reassuringly. "I'm excited to see you making Christmas dinner…all by yourself."

"I'm sure I'll have some help," She laughed. "And if I don't then don't expect too much."

"I already don't," Annie teased, releasing herself from the embrace. She reached into her bag, pulling out a newspaper and handing it over. "A little reading for the train. The secret is indeed out."

"Thanks," Roseanna frowned, about to check the front page when the conductor whistled the train's imminent departure. She stuffed it instead in her own purse as an attendant came to pick up her suitcase.

"Safe journey," Annie called out, blowing her a last kiss as she got back into the limousine.

"This way, Ma'am," the attendant said, motioning for her to follow him onto the train. "I'll show you to your compartment."

She followed him onto the sleeper train, along corridors until he stopped outside of the door to her compartment. He held the door open for her. "There you go, Ma'am."

"Thank you," She said, slipping a bill into his hand as she walked in.

"Thank you ma'am," he thanked her, slipping it into his pocket. "It's an honour, Ma'am. I'm a very big fan of the Caines."

"Oh," She said, taken aback. So much for the disguise. "Why, thank you."

After a polite nod, he left her on her own. She looked around the compartment. Very luxurious. She would have to thank Annie later. A plush armchair sat by the window, whilst a comfortable-looking bed sat in the corner bearing a rich, red bed linen. She would enjoy sinking into the later. For the time being, she rid herself of her thick coat, placing it on the coat stand. Sinking into the armchair by the window, she pulled the newspaper from her bag, spreading it out over her lap. She raised her eyebrows at the front cover. _**WILLIAM CAINE ENDS TWENTY-PLUS YEAR MARRIAGE**_. So the secret was indeed out, it seemed. Everyone would know now. Letting herself sink further into the armchair, she bit her lip. She knew it was the break that her father needed. Finally free from the shackles of the evil stepmother. She leaned her head to the side, watching the snow falling gently outside the window of the train, a warm feeling in her stomach. She knew the world would be white by the time she got to her destination. She could feel herself relaxing, coming down from the performance. The warmth of the heating in the carriage began to take over, and she felt her lids growing heavy.

……………………………

_**8 a.m.**_

"NEXT STOP, EDISON, NEW JERSEY," the ticket inspector's voice boomed out through the corridors as he walked along, ringing his bell.

It woke Roseanna with a jolt. She sat up in the chair, wondering how long she'd been asleep. She looked to the window, noticing it was light outside. She raised her arms in the air, stretching. She smiled as she looked out of the window, noticing that the snow had, in fact, lain heavy on the ground. How idyllic. Realising what the inspector had just announced, she looked across to the mirror atop the bureau. Ooh, time do de-showbizz. She quickly set about removing her make-up and arranging her hair in a far more demure fashion. And the dress. It was definitely time for the floor-length silk evening dress to go, to be exchanged with a comfortable skirt and blouse. She looked in the mirror, admiring the end result. What a different person. She loved them both, though. The train ground to a halt, prompting her to stuff the clothes she'd just rid into her suitcase, grab her coat and make for the door. The attendant from the previous night was there to greet her, taking her suitcase and promising to take it out for her. She made her way to the stairs, exiting the train. A huge smile broke out on her face as she saw the sight she'd waited all weekend to see. Waiting at the other end of the platform stood Dick, her husband. He bore a wide-toothed smile on his face at the sight of her descending from the train stairs. His left hand kept a tight grip on the pram, in which 9-month-old baby Ruby slept soundly. On his right hip, 3-year-old Michael squirmed, trying to free himself from his father's hold so that he might run and greet his mother. He succeeded, Dick lowering himself slightly to set him loose on the platform. Excited, he took of running towards her. "Mommy!"

She bent down to greet him, sweeping him up into her arms and spinning him round quickly before setting him down again and bending down in front of him. She ruffled his sandy brown hair and did up the top button on his little duffel coat. "It's cold out, Sweetheart."

Taking his hand, she led him back over towards Dick and Ruby. Slipping her arms around his waist, she planted a lingering kiss on his lips, whispering. "I'm so happy to be home."

"We missed you," He whispered back, putting his forehead to hers for a brief moment before looking down at baby Ruby. "Didn't we Ruby?"

She gurgled in response.

"I'll take that as a yes, Sweetie," Roseanna laughed, reaching down and gently stroking one of her cheeks.

"It snowed, mommy," Michael said excitedly, tugging at the hem of her skirt.

"I know, Sweetheart," She smiled. "Because it's so cold."

"Home it is then," Dick said, steering his family towards the car. "We're parked there."

Michael began to run towards the car, his arms outstretched as though he was pretending to be an airplane.

Roseanna took control of the pram, Dick's arm slipping around her waist as they followed in their son's general direction.

"So, how was the show?" He asked, giving her waist an affectionate squeeze.

"It was fantastic. The Mayor was there. I couldn't believe it," She beamed, smiling back at him. "But I'm glad to be home."

"Well, I'm glad to have my wife back for two straight weeks until after the New Year," He chuckled.

……………………………

With a slight groan, the car turned up into the driveway of their modest, two-storey house. It wasn't quite the idyllic farm that both had envisioned. "All in good time" Dick often said. For the moment, it was the best of both worlds. It had a big yard and a wraparound porch, quite satisfying Roseanna's desires. Similarly, it was close enough to the town centre for Dick to make his way to work at the Nixon Nitration Works relatively quickly, yet far enough off of the beaten track to give them a certain degree of tranquillity from the hustle and bustle of the town centre. Peeking out of the frosted window as Dick pulled the car to a stop, Roseanna looked out at her garden with a warm feeling in her stomach. She forgot how beautiful the house looked covered in snow. Very different from when she'd left on Friday evening. Bustling her family out of the car, cradling baby Ruby in her arms, she walked into her home, taking in the familiar, comforting smells. She could smell that Dick had left the wood fire burning so that the house would be warm for her coming back, and a pot of coffee on the oven. He was considerate in that way. Setting Ruby down for a nap in her sitting room crib, Roseanna caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye. A large spruce tree sat by the window, undressed.

"Well now, what is this?" She gushed, touching green pines.

"Michael insisted," Dick said, ruffling his son's hair as he sat playing with his toys on the mat in front of the fireplace. "But he said we couldn't decorate it until _mommy_ came home."

"Aww Sweetie," Roseanna winked at her son. "Well then, let's do that tonight when Daddy gets home from work, alright? I'll fetch the decorations from the attic."

"Speaking of, that's where Daddy has to get to right now," Dick said, reaching for his car keys.

"Oh, 8.30 already," Roseanna said, frowning slightly as she looked at the wall clock. She walked over to her husband, casually pulling his scarf from the coat stand and wrapping it around his neck. He brushed a tendril of hair from her eyes as she did so, provoking a long, contented sigh from her. "I like being the housewife again."

"Good," He kissed her forehead. "Because you do it so well."

"Of course I do," She said, jokingly. A thought suddenly struck her as he'd begun to leave. "Oh, Dick."

"Yes?"

"Did you ask Nix if he wants to come to Christmas dinner like I asked you to?" She asked, biting her lip anxiously. She was conscious of the fact that it was her first Christmas in their own home, the first time they wouldn't be travelling to the Caine mansion. She'd never cooked Christmas dinner in her life before, but she was going to give it a go. "Is he spending Christmas with his parents?"

"No, they're going on a cruise instead this Christmas. I asked him and he said that he'd love to," He nodded, making her smile happily. "…he said he couldn't pass up the chance to see you in the kitchen for a change."

"The smarta-," She stopped, remembering the children were there. She pouted, putting her arms around his waist again. "You defended me, right?"

"I told him you were a great cook," He said, rubbing her back, a playful glint in his eye.

She squinted at him. "Honest?"

"Honest," He kissed her again. "Okay, I really need to get going."

"Have a good day," She released him, raising on her tiptoes slightly to place a soft kiss on his lips. She turned away, bending down to tend to Ruby, who gurgled happily in her crib.

"Roseanna," Dick called from the door.

"Yes?" She spun back round to look at him.

"I love you," He winked at her, before closing the door behind him.

"I love you too," She replied, even though he'd already gone. She picked up Ruby and walked over to the window, Michael joining at her side. They waved Dick off as he got into the car. She moved Ruby's little hand gently in a waving motion. "Say bye bye to Daddy, Ruby."

When Dick was out of sight, she replaced the baby into the crib, collapsing exhaustedly onto the couch. The weekends that she spent in New York really took it out of her. Michael skipped over, flopping onto the couch next to her and cuddling into her side. She ruffled his hair. "So, what do you want to do today?"

"Mmmm," He thought for a moment, his blue eyes sparkling. "Build a snowman?"

"Excellent idea," She clapped her hands together. "Alright then, I'll tell you what. Why don't you put on your coat, hat and gloves whilst mommy takes her suitcase upstairs and then we'll build one. Alright?"

"Alright, Mommy," He said, springing into action.

Whilst he set about finding his gloves, Roseanna took her little suitcase upstairs, opening the door to the bedroom that she shared with Dick. It was her favourite room in the whole house. Adorned with warm cream-coloured walls with wooden panelling and a light red floral bedspread, it was the private space that she shared with her husband. Where they held each other, woke up next to each other and made love to each other. Unzipping the suitcase, she pulled out the silk gowns that she'd worn for her shows at the weekend, accompanied by her large fur jacket and wide-brimmed hat. Opening the door to a cupboard by her dresser, she hung all of her performance clothing into it, where it belonged. She closed the door on it, closed the door on it for another weekend. It was in the way that she'd learned to compartmentalise her life. Whilst she was in New Jersey, all of that attire stayed locked in the cupboard until she headed back to New York. It stayed locked in the cupboard so that she could concentrate on being a wife and mother. At the same time, she felt comforted just knowing that it was there, all of the reminds of her other life. As she turned the key in the lock, she caught sight of her wedding photograph on the wall, and smiled. She knew that she really did have the best of both worlds.

"Mommy!" Michael's voice called up from downstairs. "I'm ready."

"Coming, Sweetheart."

**The End. (Sort of)**

…………………………………

Et voila! A bit of a cheesy ending but, hey, it got the story to where I'd intended it to end up. Like I said at the end, it's _sort of_ the end. It is the actual end of the story but I'm going to do a Christmas Special (Like The Office -UK Version- had its two-part Christmas Special). Hence why I set this last chapter just by Christmas. I'm going to write that Christmas, which I'm looking forward to, haha. Roseanna's cooking (wonder how that will go), Nix is coming to dinner, as are Annie (oo-er, are the sparks still there?), William Caine and…perhaps Lola (fresh from a marriage breakup? What's happened to her over the last few years?). So yeah…

**Falling Star: Christmas Special (Coming Christmas 2009)**

(Sorry, that was lame. Lol.)

Thanks to everyone who left reviews for the story and/or added it to alerts and favourites. It means a lot to me : ). Any final or overall input/critique/praise for this final chapter would be greatly received. Thanks : )


	32. Chapter 32 Christmas Special Pt 1

**Falling Star- Christmas Special, part 1.**

……………………………………

_**December 18**__**th**__**, 1949- Edison, New Jersey**_

The snow falling rhythmically in soft flakes from the night sky, the Winters family gathered safely in their family room, a warmth surrounding them from the log burning in the glowing hearth. Setting the final bauble into her son's eager hands, Roseanna patted him on the back, setting him in motion towards the grand, bushy, pine tree which sat proudly in front of the front window. He placed the bauble onto the end of one of the branches, finishing of the masterpiece laden with red and gold coloured baubles. She motioned for him to come back to where she was standing, crouching down to put a hand on either side of his shoulders as he stood in front of him. She looked over at Dick in the corner of her eye, who held two ends of a circuit connection in each of his hands. She winked at him, signalling him to go. With a brief pause, he connected them, turning on the delicate fairy lights dotted around the tree and illuminating it like a bright, shining star.

"Woooooow," Michael breathed, blinking in disbelief at the sight before him. He'd been too young the year before to really notice the fairy lights dotted around the Caine Family Mansion.

Smiling, Roseanna stood up again, hands on her hips. She was proud of the purchase she'd made whilst in the city. Dick swiftly moved over to her side, putting one arm around her waist, scratching his head with the other. She cast a glance at him, noticing his pursed lips, the look he held whenever he was in two minds about something.

"What?" She asked, smiling yet rolling her eyes at him.

"It's just…are you _sure_ these things are safe?" He asked, doubtingly. "I know your father has them every year but…."

"Sweetie," She slipped an arm around his waist, giving it a supportive squeeze. "Does the tree in Rockefeller Centre go up in flames every year?"

"I know, I know," he sighed.

She laughed to herself, feeling that he was still unconvinced. "I'll tell you what…minimal usage. No more than three hours a night. Deal?"

"Deal," He gave a chuckle, reaching out the firmly shake the joking hand that she'd offered.

…………………………

_**December 20**__**th**__**, 1949- Edison, New Jersey**_

Roseanna strode down Main Street, nodding politely to an elderly lady as she did so. Much like Iowa, the local residents didn't make much of a fuss of her. Perhaps the first year or so she'd been something of a novelty but, now, she blended in quite well, even making a few friends amongst them. The elderly lady wished her a good afternoon, before continuing on her way. Smiling, Roseanna pushed the door open to Miller and Sons, the local butcher. Inside, Jim Miller, the eldest surviving member of the family of butchers, tended to a joint of meat of some sort, but looked up as Roseanna walked in, cleaning his hands off on a dishtowel before making his way over to her behind the counter. He clapped his hands together in delight.

"Good Afternoon, Mrs Winters. What a pleasant surprise," He smiled. "Given your good husband the day off?"

She laughed. He was referring to the fact that Dick normally ordered from the butchers whilst Roseanna was in New York. "Well, he deserves a day off every now and again."

"Very generous of you," He said, rubbing his hands together. "Now, what can I do you for, today?"

"Well," She placed a hand on either side of the counter, leaning in. "I'm here for my Christmas Bird."

"Excellent! Spending the Christmas in Edison this year, I see?"

"Trying my hand at cooking the turkey, too," She smiled mischievously.

He nodded approvingly. "You, Dick and the kids?"

She shook her head, her eyes scanning the turkeys sitting in front of her. "No, a few more. Something that serves 7-9 people, maybe."

"Well, you can take a look at what we have here…," He said, then stopped, his eyes lighting up as though something had just struck him. A mischievous glint appeared in his eye. He cleared his throat. "7-9 people, huh? Well, I'd say you're going to need a big bird."

"Really?" A worried look settled over her face, showing her culinary cluelessness. "Won't any of these do?"

"Hmmm," He shook his head at the sizeable birds. "I think they're a little too small."

"Oh no!" She said, covering her mouth in panic. "What the hell am I going to do? I have family travelling in from New York for this!"

"Don't worry," He held up his hands reassuringly. "I've still got my prized bird."

"Prized bird?"

"Every year I get in an extra big one just in case someone needs that bit extra," He explained.

"Oh really?" She asked, relieved. "You're a godsend, Jim! Can I see it?"

"Coming up," He smiled gleefully, spotting a chance to rid him of the large bird he ordered every year that no one _ever _bought…well, it would likely feed up to 20 people. He reappeared, struggling under the weight of a colossal turkey.

Roseanna's mouth dropped open in shock at the sight of it. "It's huge!"

"Plenty for your guests though," He said, setting it down in front of her. "Trust me, Roseanna, the worst thing possible on Christmas day is not having enough food for your guests…especially if, as you say, they've travelled a long distance to spend the day with you."

She had no idea that he was playing on her fears, falling for what he was saying hook, line and sinker. "Goodness, you're right. Although…I'm not even sure that'll fit in our oven."

"This _little_ thing?" He waved a hand dismissively at her. "You could fit two of them in your oven."

"Really?" She asked, looking at him earnestly.

"Really," He confirmed, slapping the bird on the behind and releasing a large _smack_ sound.

"Alright," She nodded her head firmly. "I'll take it!"

"Excellent," He beamed, clapping his hands together again, thinking to himself that his son would get a new bike that Christmas after all. "Now, when do you want to collect it?"

"I'll have Dick pick it on the 23rd," She said. "He can pay for it then too, right?"

"A-absolutely," He replied, his voice faltering slightly, anticipating Dick's reaction to the price tag.

………………………….

After her turkey triumph, so to speak, Roseanna made her way over to the Nixon Nitration Works, driving through the cast iron gates and up towards the bricked building. She made her way past the front desk and up the stairs towards Dick's office, situated just down the corridor from Lew's. She leaning against the frame of the slightly ajar door, pulling her brimmed hat slightly upwards of her face so that she could look at him properly. His brow furrowed in concentration as he bashed away at the keys on his typewriter. She allowed herself a second or to merely to gaze at him, before holding up the brown paper bag at arms length in front of her and loudly clearing her throat. "Lunch break?"

He looked up, his eyes opening in surprise for a second before breaking out into a smile. He pushed his chair back, walking over to greet her with his hands in his pockets, giving her a peck on the cheek. "This is a nice surprise."

"Forget your sandwiches on purpose, did you?" She teased, her eyes glistening as she thrust the bag towards him.

"Might have," His eyes twinkled mischievously, taking it from her. "Well, I didn't actually mean to but I'm not complaining."

"Mmm hmmm," She raised her eyebrows, smiling. Her eyes lit up as she remembered. "Got the turkey."

"Oh, yeah?" He nodded. "Good size?"

"Well I was worried we wouldn't find one big enough but Jim found one big enough."

"Great," Dick replied, absent-mindedly looking in the brown bag to remind himself what he'd put on his sandwiches.

"I told him you'd pay for it when you went to pick it up, that alright?" She asked, taking a step further into the room.

"That's fine," He smiled, sitting back down behind his desk and flashing her a smile as he jerked his head in motion towards Lew's office. "Better go see the boss while you're here?"

"What?" She repeated, frowning.

"Lew needs a favour," he shrugged, turning his attention back to his typewriter.

"Oh," She pursed her lips in intrigue, turning on her heel and sauntering up to Lew's office, rapping sharply on the door.

"Come in," his voice sounded out from the other side of the door.

She pushed open the door to find him with his back to her, busily putting on her coat. "You rang, apparently?"

He spun round to see her, taking a moment from buttoning his coat to make his way over and offer her a hug. "Welcome home! How was the city?"

"Beautiful at Christmas time…but I'm glad to be home all the same," She replied, leaning back on her heels, a hand placed on her hip. She said pointedly: "Annie's doing well."

"Is she?" Nix said, stopping for a moment and clearing his throat awkwardly. "That's nice, fantastic even…that's why I need to see you, actually."

"Go on," She pressed, intrigued.

"A little redheaded birdie tells me that the lovely Ms Wilkes is gracing New Jersey with her presence this Christmas," He said, finishing the remaining buttons on his coat.

"She is indeed, although it was _supposed_ to be a surprise," She said, shaking her head, loud enough so that Dick could hear from down the hall.

"He forced it out of me!" Came the muffled protested response.

"Anyway," Nix said, bringing back the focus. "I think a gift is in order."

"Why Nix, you don't have to get me anything," She joked.

He gave her an amused look, one eyebrow cocked. "For Annie."

"I know," She rolled her eyes. She smiled, referring to Nix and Annie's on/off "relationship" for the past few years. "A gift, huh? A ring, perhaps?"

He suppressed a laugh. "Let's not get carried away, Roseanna. I was thinking more like a nice purse or something."

"How romantic," She said dryly, pulling her coat further around her shoulders. "Alright then, come on. I have an hour before I have to get back to let the babysitter leave."

………………………

Fifteen minutes later, they found themselves trawling through Edison's largest department store, which still wasn't large in comparison to the skyscraper department stores in New York City but it still sold everything that a medium-sized town resident needed. Roseanna pursed her lips together in thought, looking through some chiffon scarves that Annie might've liked.

"This one?" Lew asked, holding up a slate grey-coloured one.

"No way," She shook her head. "A girl from the city needs colour."

He sighed dejectedly, putting it back and picking up a chocolate-coloured one. "Why is shopping for women so damn hard. This one?"

"Brown's not her colour," Roseanna shook her head. "She doesn't like it. Geez, Lew, how did you cope with this first time round?"

"My ex?" He asked. "Easy, she just liked the money."

"Charming," She raised an eyebrow, sighing, thinking that Annie wouldn't like any of the scarves on offer. "Sure you won't change your mind about the jewellery?"

"Bit of a strong sentiment," He shrugged, casually continuing to peruse the scarves. "I don't want to come on too strong."

"It's been a good few years," She pointed out. "You both need to make up your minds, together or not? I mean, this is the perfect time of year for a couple to get together."

"You're too romantic, Roseanna," He chuckled, looking at the shelves as they strolled down the aisles. "Who knows what it is, but whatever we have, it works."

"What? Being intimate when you both happen to be in the same state?" She frowned, clucking her tongue. "I'd love to see you two together."

"Well, pray for a Christmas miracle," He said dryly, picking up a final effort and showing it to her hopefully. An emerald green scarf with golden threading. "This one?"

"Oh," She raised her eyes. "That's pretty."

He grinned triumphantly. "Lewis Nixon always gets it right in the end?"

She laughed, taking it from him and looking at it longingly. "I actually really like this. She'd love this."

"Great," He said, frowning at her staring at it. "Can…can I have it back now?"

She handed it back, biting her lip and whispering. "Maybe hint to Dick that I'd quite like one of these?"

"Noted," He nodded, clutching the scarf under his arm. "Well that's that. Oh! Whilst we're here…."

"Yes?" She said expectantly.

"I still don't have a gift for my mom…," He said, flashing her a charming smile. "…and since your taste is so good."

"Lew, we've had this discussion," She shook her head, but smiling all the same. "Just because I'm married to your best friend, I'm not a surrogate wife when you need any _wifely_ duties done."

"Oh come on…," He waved a hand dismissively. "Course you can!"

"Fine," She relented. "What does your mother like?"

………………………………..

_**December 22**__**nd**__**, 1949- Edison, New Jersey**_

As the clock lingered around the 8 a.m. mark, Roseanna lay in bed, her pillows plumped behind her to prop her up. She stared through the crack in the open curtains, watching the snow falling outside. She moved her shoulders, trying to relax, knowing she had a long day ahead. She looked up as she heard the door creaking open, watching Dick walking in wearing his robe and brandishing two steaming cups of coffee and tea. He handed her the tea, shivering with cold as he climbed back into bed beside her, plumping his own pillows to position himself upright.

"Thanks, Sweetie," She said, pecking him on the lips as she wrapped her fingers around the cup of tea, gratefully taking its warmth. "Cold this morning."

"I know the snow's bad this morning. I'll light the downstairs fire after I finish this before the kids wake up," He said, gripping his own cup. "Hopefully the weather won't affect the travel."

She sidled up next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Hope not. I can't wait to see my dad."

"Mmm," He nodded in agreement. He closed his eyes and put his head back against the dashboard.

"I like having you here on a weekday morning," She nuzzled into him. "Good of Nix to start the Christmas holidays early."

"Maybe he had a _Christmas Carol_ experience," Dick joked, gently laying his head on top of his. "Enjoy it while you can though, we've a hectic day ahead."

"Paying for the turkey?" She joked. "That's hectic?"

"Well, I am getting worried actually," He teased, nudging her slightly. "I passed the butcher in the street last night and he just sniggered at me."

"Odd," She bit her lip. "Oh well, at least by tonight we'll have everything we need for Christmas."

"Shhhh," He said, placing a hand to his lips.

"What?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Do you hear that?"

"No," She strained to listen. "What is it?"

"The silence," He joked. "Enjoy it. We won't be hearing it for much longer."

On cue, the baby let out a wail.

………………………………………

Ruby sat snugly in her car seat, wrapped up tightly in a blanket. Michael, alternatively, gazed excitedly from the car window, his little nose pressed up against the glass as he watched Roseanna, standing just in front of him, as she waited for the train to pull in. She shifted her weight excitedly on her tiptoes as it pulled to a stop, letting out a large whistle. She watched the people emerge, laden with suitcases, scanning each one for any sign of Annie or her father. Suddenly, she saw a man emerge in a red felt hat. Only William Caine. She raised her hand up, calling excitedly and moving forward to greet him."Dad!"

He waved back excitedly, unable to hurry towards her as he dragged the largest suitcase she'd ever seen behind him. When they finally reached, he pulled her into a hug.

"So good to see you, Daddy," She beamed, breathing in his familiar step. She pulled back, raising an eyebrow at his coat. "Daddy? Are you wearing a fur coat?"

"Do you like?" He stepped back, showing it off.

"It's nice but isn't it a little…feminine?" She frowned.

"Please, darling," He waved a hand dismissively. "All the men in the city are wearing them."

"If you say so," She beamed, hugging him again. She looked down at his suitcase, joking. "How long were you planning on staying, exactly?"

"Oh, this? Just the essentials, Sweetheart? Besides, you should see how much _she_ brought," He replied, motioning behind him as he continued to drag his suitcase towards the car.

"Who? Annie?" She asked, confused, looking at the approaching redhead. "How much you brought?"

Annie stifled a mischievous snigger, shaking her head and motioning behind her. "No, not me. _Her_. Good to see ya, Roseanna. You might need a minute with this one."

Roseanna's face twisted confusion as she looked forward to the rest of the passengers still emerging from the train. Her faced paled as she set her sights on a woman approaching her, her blonde hair hidden under a wide-brimmed hat and her eyes hidden under large, round sunglasses, a porter struggling with a trunk behind her. She whipped back to face her father and Annie. "Lola?! You brought Lola to New Jersey?!"

…………………………………….

Yay part one done. I wanted to be further on by now but some stuff has come up so I lost a bit of time. I'm so excited for Christmas. What do you all have planned? Hope you're all having an amazing holiday period so far and that you stay tuned for the next part. : )


	33. Chapter 33 Christmas Special Pt 2

**Falling Star Christmas Special Part 2**

…………………………………………

_**December 22**__**nd**__**, 1949- Edison, New Jersey**_

Having just returned from the train station, Roseanna sat awkwardly in her sitting room alongside Annie, William Caine and Lola. Each of them twiddled awkwardly with the handle on their coffee cups.

"Lovely decorations, Sweetheart," William complimented her. "Certainly did inherit your mother's flair for Christmas decoration."

"Thanks, Dad," She smiled thankfully, before her mouth set itself tersely again in a straight line.

"So…," Annie bit her lip. "Sure is cold in New Jersey this time of year, isn't it Lola?"

Lola didn't respond, simply staring intently at Michael playing animatedly with his toys trucks on the rug in front of the fire.

"Lola…," Annie pressed, everyone turning to look at her.

Roseanna frowned.

"I'm sorry, what?" Lola shook her head, coming back to reality.

"Cold here in New Jersey, isn't it?" Annie repeated.

"Oh," Lola paused for a moment. "Yes, yes it is."

Roseanna frowned again at her ex-stepsister-to-be, wondering why she was acting so tranquil all of a sudden. _Maybe Annie gave her a horse tranquilizer to calm her down_, she couldn't help but think to herself. Suddenly the sound of the front door opening interrupted them, the sound of Dick walking into the house. Feeling relief wash over her, she stood up. "There's Dick, I'll just give him a hand with the groceries. Be right back."

She walked swiftly out of the living room into the kitchen, where she found Dick struggling under the weight of the mammoth turkey. "Hi, Sweetie."

"Hi," He kissed her on the cheek, turning back round to motion to the turkey. "We need to talk about this."

"Got the turkey then?" She smiled sweetly at him.

"Uh, yes," He frowned at her. "Roseanna, when you said you weren't sure that this turkey would be big enough to feed everyone, were you planning on feeding everyone in Edison? I practically had to wrestle this thing into the car."

She stifled a laugh. "Sweetie, it's not _that_ big."

"I'm not even sure that's going to fit in the oven," He teased.

"It'll fit," She laughed, putting a hand on either side of his waist. "It might have to go in kicking and screaming, but it'll fit."

He nodded his head towards the sitting room. "Family here?"

"Yep," She said, pursing her lips and squinting her brow.

"What's wrong?" He brushed a hair out of her face. "Did they get here alright?"

"They did," She nodded. "…with Lola in tow?"

"Lola," His eyes raised seriously as he looked over towards the living room. "Really?"

"Unfortunately,"

Dick rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I thought she'd be with her mother, given the separation…_s_. Well, this'll be…fun."

"Tell me about it," She sighed. "That's why I thought it'd be safe to invite Dad and Annie over this year."

Dick gently pulled away and manoeuvred, with difficulty, the turkey into the refrigerator, wiping his hands on a tea towel. "Suppose I'd better go and say hello."

…………………………..

"So, this is where you'll be sleeping," Roseanna said that evening, showing Lola into one of the spare rooms, lugging her trunk up the stairs for her. "Not quite the Four Seasons, but…."

"No," Lola said quietly. "I suppose it isn't. It'll be fine, though."

Roseanna frowned, unnerved by her calm demeanour. "Anyway, if you need anything just let me know."

She closed the door behind her as she left, stepping out into the hall. Hearing Dick's voice cooing from inside Ruby's nursery, she joined him. They kissed their daughter goodnight before walking hand in hand to their bedroom. Once inside, she sat down heavily on the edge of the bed. He moved to sit behind her, rubbing her shoulders. "Tense."

"She's acting odd, don't you think?" Roseanna said, biting her lip.

"What, you mean in that she hasn't insulted you once since she's been here?"

"Basically, yes," She nodded.

"Maybe she's growing as a person," He teased.

Roseanna laughed.

"She certainly does seem a little subdued, thought," He said, pensively.

"Maybe she's storing it all so that she can unleash all at once," Roseanna pondered.

"Don't get para-…," Dick stopped, his eyes drawn suddenly to the sight of a mass of fur draped over the armchair by the window. "Uh, Sweetie, what's that?"

"Oh, that," She explained. "That's my father's fur coat."

"Your _father's_ fur coat," He repeated, raising his eyes slightly. "Interesting."

"Apparently everyone and anyone is wearing them right now," She said, chuckling. Her mind quickly drifted back to the matter at hand. "Urgh, as if this week wasn't stressful enough."

He shifted round to sit next to her, laughing softly at her as he gently stroked the side of her face.

"…what?" She bit her lip.

"I've never told you this, but when you get stressed you bite your lip a lot…and I think that it's the cutest thing I've ever seen."

…………………………………

_**December 23**__**rd**__**, 1949- Edison, New Jersey**_

The next day, Roseanna carried a steaming mug of coffee out to the front porch where Annie stood, watching Michael attempt to build himself a second snowman.

"You're a star," Annie smiled gratefully, taking the mug into her gloved hands. "You know, Rosie, I can really see why you like it out here. It's so peaceful."

"Isn't it?" Roseanna smiled happily, enjoying the silence. "So, come on Annie, now that we're alone…why is she here?"

Annie took a deep breath. "It's odd, isn't it."

"It really is," Roseanna agreed. "So, why?"

"Well, William and I were all packed and ready to go, cases literally packed, and she just showed up at the front door, asking if she could spend Christmas with us," Annie explained. "You know your dad can't say no to her."

"What about her mother?"

"Took off unexpectedly to Florida for the holidays," Annie said, shaking her head. "Just left a note and took off."

"Wow. So how are you dealing with the fallout from both divorces," She asked, referring to her father's divorce and also Lola's.

"Can't escape those newspapers," Annie said, annoyed. "It's getting pretty, damn frustrating, if I'm honest. Don't you dare think of getting divorced anytime soon."

"Oh, darn," Roseanna joked, clicking her fingers.

"Morning, ladies," Dick said, emerging on the balcony behind them, his hands jammed into his pockets against the cold. "Sleep well, Annie?"

"Look, Daddy!" Michael shouted from the yard, pointing to his snowman.

"Looks great, buddy!" Dick called, giving him a thumbs up before turning back to Annie.

"I slept amazingly, Dick! It's so quiet out here!" Annie gushed. "So nice to go to sleep without the constant sound of cars and chitter chatter coming from the street."

"I don't know how you can put it up with that, Annie, honestly," Dick laughed. "It's so damn noisy in the city, I don't even know how the wife puts up with it on the odd weekend she spends there."

"This from the man that lived under fire in the forest," Roseanna joked, putting an arm around him.

Suddenly the sound of a car pulling up into the front drive captured all of their attention. They looked up to see Nix in the passenger seat.

"Hey, look who it is," Roseanna teased, digging Annie in the ribs.

"Yeah, yeah, yea-…who's driving that car?" Annie asked, her eyes suddenly growing wide.

Roseanna looked over to the young, blonde girl in the driving seat, her hair bouncing gracefully as the car bumped over the rough ground. "I…I don't know. Dick, who is she?"

"I mean, not that I care," Annie said, trying to act nonplussed.

"That's…," Dick squinted, trying to get a better look. "Nix's new assistant."

"Lew has a new assistant?" Roseanna echoed, surprised. "I didn't know that."

"Only hired her last week," Dick said over his shoulder as he walked down the steps, calling out. "Hey Nix, turning your secretary into your new chauffeur?"

"Course not, my car is in the shop" Nix laughed, jumping out of the passenger seat, his eyes quickly setting sight on Annie. "Morning Ladies."

"Hi Lew," Roseanna called out, shifting awkwardly in her spot.

"This is my assistant, Lydia," Nix introduced the girl in the driving seat.

"Hi there," Lydia stuck her head out of the window, giving them an amicable wave.

"Thanks for the lift," Lew said, giving her a wave before she turned the engine on again.

As she reversed down the driveway, Nix walked up towards the porch. "Seasons greetings to all. Good to see you, Annie."

"You too," She said, slightly tersely, but her icy demeanour melting when he hopped up next to her, planting a kiss on her cheek. "It's been a while."

"Too long, my dear," He said, charmingly, grazing her cheek with the back of his hand.

"Easy, you two," Roseanna teased from nearby. "Let's get breakfast out of the way before we start getting passionate."

Roseanna shot her a look as they all walked inside.

"…Lola! Hi!" Lew's surprised voice rang out from inside.

………………………………….

_**December 24**__**th**__**, 1949- Edison, New Jersey**_- _**Town Square**_

The main square of Edison, New Jersey was bustling with activity that Christmas Eve. Stalls were set up all around the large Christmas tree in the centre, selling all sorts of wares from roasted chestnuts to hot cider to mulled wine, to assorted crafts. A band played nearby on a makeshift stage, setting Christmas melodies over the crowd. William provoked an awed reaction from the crowd, which was likely exacerbated by his trying to appear incognito by donning sunglasses and his fur coat. Women flocked around him, trying to get an autograph. Dick, Roseanna, Annie and Lola (who genuinely managed to disguise herself under a modestly-brimmed hat) decided to leave him to him to his own devices, walking around the square and admiring the festive sights.

"So go on, tell me if Lew bought me a Christmas present this year?" Annie pressed as she and Roseanna walked side by side, pushing Ruby in her stroller as Dick attempted to make conversation with Lola just up ahead.

"That would be telling," Roseanna teased.

"Rosie…," Annie said sternly. "I need to know whether or not to give him the one I bought for him."

"You wouldn't give it to him?"

"Not if he hasn't bought one for me," She said pointedly.

"Ok, yes he did," Roseanna replied, relenting.

Annie looked her over, smiling cheekily. "Am I going to like it or should I act surprised?"

"No, I helped him pick it," She laughed.

"Oh, so I'll have to pretend then," Annie teased, digging Roseanna playfully in the ribs, motioning up ahead to Lola, who seemed to have just laughed earnestly at something Dick had just said. "Did she just laugh."

"I…I think she did, "Roseanna said, raising her eyes. "I don't think I've ever seen her do that so innocently before."

"Creepy," Annie shuddered, her eyes scanning the crowd again, and stopping. "Oh my…."

"What?" Roseanna asked, trying to follow her eyes.

"Lew is over there…with that blonde again, his _secretary_," Annie said, her face dropping.

Roseanna looked over and, sure enough, Lew stood side-by-side with Lydia, chatting over a bag of roasted chestnuts. "Oh."

"I find it hard to believe that he hired her on her professional merit," Annie sighed, shaking her head.

"You don't know that…," Roseanna said, trying to be rational.

"But come on…," Annie said, trailing off as Lola and Dick turned back round to them.

"I'm going to go and get some mulled wine," Lola said, her voice coming across sweetly. "Annie, Roseanna, can I get you one?"

"Um…," Roseanna replied, taken aback. "Yes, yes alright."

Annie nodded in agreement next to her, equally as dumbfounded.

Watching Lola walk off, Dick wrapped his arms around Roseanna's arm, teasingly whispering into his wife's ear. "Ooh, scary."

"Hey there!" Nix's voice boomed out suddenly as he jogged over to them, a cup of cider in his hand. He affectionately pinched Annie's cheek. "Didn't see you there. Well, look at you all wrapped up against the cold."

"We saw you over there talking to your _secretary_," Annie said, a little pointedly. "Didn't want to interrupt."

"You should've come over," He said, offering her a sip of his cider.

Suddenly, William's voice boomed out through a microphone.

They all looked over to see that he'd found his way up onto the stage with the band. Roseanna shook her head, unable to stop laughing.

"Is it Christmas or is it Christmas Edison?" He asked the crowd, gripping tightly onto the microphone. "Sing with me. _Silent Night…_."

…………………………………………..

_**December 25**__**th**__**, 1949- Edison, New Jersey**_

Noon on Christmas Day in the Winters house. Roseanna stood in the kitchen, an apron tied tightly around her, a mess of mixing bowls, pots and pans on the countertops around her. Michael's persistence in asking to open his presents and Roseanna and Dicks' persistent refusal until after Christmas Dinner when everyone was up had led to Dick and William taking the youngster out for a walk just to keep him out of the way of the kitchen. Desperately peeling potatoes alongside Annie, Roseanna looked up as Nix entered the room, bleary-eyed.

"Morning," Roseanna said, stopping mid-peel, eyes raised in surprise.

"Thanks for letting me stay," Nix said, yawning as he sat down at the kitchen table.

"I didn't actually know that you did, but you're welcome," Roseanna said, shooting a teasing glance at Annie out of the corner of her eye. "What time did you two get home last night, exactly?"

Annie didn't respond, looking down to the potatoes, blushing.

"Where's Dick?" Lew asked.

"Out for a walk with my dad and Michael," Roseanna said, winking. "Too many cooks and all that."

Suddenly the phone rang out from the hall.

"Oh," Annie said, wiping her hands on her apron. "I'll get that."

"Sleep well, Nix?" Roseanna asked jokingly as Annie left the room, her eyes twinkling.

Nix merely tapped his nose, stifling a laugh.

Annie reappeared, her face sullen, casting a look at Lew. "Your secretary is on the phone, Lew."

"What?" His eyes widened. "Really? How dedicated she is."

As he left to answer the phone, Annie took her place back next to Roseanna and began to peel potatoes again, in stony silence.

Roseanna bit her lip. "Calm down…"

"I didn't say anything," Annie said, stonily.

"You're thinking it though…,"

"What kind of secretary calls on _Christmas Day_?" Annie hissed, whacking violently at the potatoes. "He doesn't even live here!"

"Ok, Annie, I know you're a little annoyed but please…my potatoes!" Roseanna said, anxiously looking over at her friend massacring the potatoes in front of her.

Nix reappeared, scratching his head. "So, can I give you ladies a hand?"

"No, we're fine," Annie replied, shooting him an icy stare.

"O…kay," Nix said, looking to Roseanna with a confused look for an answer, who merely shrugged her shoulders at him, staring back down at her potatoes.

"Annie, the potatoes," Roseanna echoed again, looking down at her potatoes and taking the knife from her. "Okay, that's fine, you've really helped. Why don't you take the china and set the table for me?"

"Want a hand?" Nix asked, walking towards Annie as she picked up the plates.

"No thanks, Lew," Annie rolled her eyes, slamming the plates down.

"Annie!" Roseanna cried, inwardly thankful that she had decided against using her wedding china for Christmas Day.

"Sorry," Annie said quietly, slumping down onto one of the chairs.

"What's wrong with you," Nix asked, shaking his head and looking at her from across the table.

"What's wrong with _me_? Nothing," Annie said, putting a hand on the table. "What's wrong with _you_? What kind of secretary takes the trouble to call on _Christmas Day_? That's a pretty dedicated little hussy you've got there, Lew."

"Excuse me?" He asked, eyes open. "What the hell does that mean?"

"Morning," Lola said quietly, looking oddly dressed down as she slinked into the kitchen in casual black pants and a woollen jumper and sitting down at the kitchen table, going largely unnoticed.

"It seems to me, Lew, that that secretary of yours is doing more than just your filing," Annie accused.

"Are you kiddin' me Annie?" Lew said, unable to stop himself from laughing at her.

"No, I'm serious, and don't you laugh at me, Lewis Nixon!" Annie shouted, her cheeks flushing red.

"Please, you two!" Roseanna cried out, exasperatedly. "It's Christmas Day!"

"Annie, you're such an idiot," Lew laughed.

"Excuse me?!"

"Annie, what exactly did Dick tell you about Lydia?" He asked, shaking his head.

"That she's your _secretary_," Annie replied.

"Yeah, yes she is," Lew said, scratching her head. "…and she's my little cousin."

"Yeah right, she's your _little cou-_…what?" Annie said, stopping mid-sentence. "What?"

"Yep, family," Lew said, winking at her. "And that phone call…passing on a Merry Christmas from Uncle Tom and Aunt Marge."

"Oh…," Annie said, her cheeks flushing crimson.

"Okay you two," Roseanna said, slamming her hands on the table. "There you go, a simple misunderstanding. So, in the interest of helping me maintain my sanity on Christmas day and in the pandemonium of this damn kitchen, why don't you two go for a walk or something and talk it out…"

"But it's really cold," Lew said, shaking his head.

"**Now**_**," **_Roseanna said, casting him a stern look, causing both of them to take to their feet hurriedly and rush out of the room.

"Great," Roseanna continued, saying to herself. "_I'll_ set the damn plates."

"Wait," Lola stood up, trying to pull the plates out of her hands. "I'll do that for you."

"No, it's fine," Roseanna replied, trying to pull them back. "I've got it."

"No, really, let me help," Lola pressed, trying to pull them again, both girls embroiled in a plate tug-of-war.

"No, Lola! I can do it myself. Be careful, you're going to…," Roseanna gasped, as the plates flew out of their hands and rushed to the floor, shattering into dozens of pieces. She flew to her feet, trying to pick up the pieces, unable to control her anger. "Oh great, Lola, now look what you did!"

Lola, by contrast, didn't rush to her own feet to help, but sat down on the chair again, erupting into fits of laughter.

Roseanna looked up at her confused. "Why are you laughing?"

"I really hate you, you know that?" Lola blurted out, still laughing.

"Oh, charming," She rolled her eyes. "Thanks. Thanks a lot."

"I'm sorry," Lola replied, frantically waving her hands in front of herself to try and stop laughing, yet failing miserably. "I just…I just really do."

"Well, that's not exactly breaking news," She grumbled, sweeping the bits of plate into the dustbin.

"Seriously," Lola said, relaxing into her chair. "You're living proof that nice people _don't_ finish last."

"Huh?"

"You. I hate you so much because…you've got everything I want, everything I've ever wanted, and you've never even had to try," Lola looked down.

"What?" Roseanna looked at her, confused.

"Well for a start you're dad's natural daughter, and soon I won't even be his stepdaughter!"

"Lola…," Roseanna held up a hand to stop her, uncomfortable with this rare bout of sincerity coming from the blonde in front of her.

"No, Roseanna…and you know, I thought I could cope with that so long as I was doing better in show business than you, and for a while I was, but now…you don't even do it full time and your records are flying off the shelves faster than mine!"

"They're only numbers, Lola…," She replied, awkwardly.

"Worse still," Lola continued, her voice lulling as she looked out of the window into the falling snow. "…now you even have the one thing I've found that I really want."

"What's that?" Roseanna asked, nervously folding her arms in front of her chest.

"You have this," Lola motioned around her. "This adorable little family house."

"But _you_ don't want this, Lola. You're a city girl, living out here would be a nightmare for you,"

"Well, yes…but you have this wonderful family, two wonderful children, and a husband who worships the ground that you rock on," Lola said, her face drooping. "I suppose that you heard…I suppose that Annie told you…."

"What?"

"Why my marriage ended…," Lola sighed. "I can't have children. I'm barren. And Howie couldn't face a prospect of not having a son and heir to the film company."

"No, Annie didn't tell me," Roseanna said, a look of shock on her face. "But…I'm sorry, Lola."

"Sure, you are," Lola shook her head at her. "I suppose you think I've got my just desserts."

"No…I just…I didn't know that you wanted to have children," Roseanna said quietly.

"Well, there you go, apparently I have a heart in there somewhere…," Lola said, letting out a little laugh.

Roseanna visibly shuddered.

"What?" Lola frowned.

"I'm just not used to seeing you like this…you don't normally let anything get you down. You've always been the biggest fighter that I know…," Roseanna reasoned. "I thought you of all people would know that this isn't the end?"

"Isn't it?"

"There are other options…adoption, for example," Roseanna suggested.

"Sure, a single mother? I don't see that happening," Lola shook her head.

"Why not? You're well off enough to provide for a child on your own…and, on a more selfish note, think of what it would do for your career. People might finally see the caring side of Lola Caine. Who knows…you might even set a trend for single starlets adopting," Roseanna said, a smile breaking out on her face.

Lola looked up at her, something odd happening… a genuine smile broke out on her face as she looked at Roseanna. Both girls smiled at each other…but it only lasted a moment, only a moment. It was a Christmas Day breakthrough. Sure it wasn't enough for them to consider each other anywhere near being a _friend_ or certainly not _sisters_…but something had definitely thawed between them.

……………………..

Everyone sat back in their chairs, stuffed.

"Fabulous," William said, appreciatively, throwing his napkin onto his plate. "Sweetheart, you've really outdone yourself."

"Thank you," Roseanna said, leaning back in her own chair and patting her tummy. Her eyes drifted over to the bird on the serving plate…only about a 7th of it cut off. "I wonder what the heck I'm going to do with all of that! Dick, Sweetie, you don't mind having turkey sandwiches at lunch for the next two months, right?"

Dick's face fell, and he took a heavy-hearted swig of his water. Even after all of these, he still didn't drink.

"All in all though, a great success," Annie smiled, drinking wine from her glass.

"It was a good meal," Nix agreed.

"No, I don't just mean the meal, which was great though, don't get me wrong," Annie said, holding a hand up to Roseanna and smiling. "But I mean Christmas Day in general."

"Yeah, I think it was a big success," Roseanna smiled. "We had a good meal, got the family altogether, there was a big fight and some amends were made."

"There was a fight?" William asked, perplexed.

"Never mind," Roseanna winked at Annie and Nix, who smiled at each other.

"Oh!" William clapped his hands together, as little Michael walked into the room wearing the little fur coat that William had bought him for Christmas. "Look at little Michael looking just like his granddaddy!"

"Yes, William, that was a very generous gift," Dick said amicably, leaning into Rosanna. "Um…."

"Goes into the back of the cupboard once dad goes home," She winked at her husband, whispering.

"Well, I think it's only fitting that such a day end with some carols around the grand piano," William said, clapping his hands together and standing

"Uh, dad…we don't have a grand piano," Roseanna frowned.

"What," His face blanked. "…what kind of home doesn't have a grand piano?"

"This Edison, New Jersey, daddy," She laughed. "Not the city!"

"Oh," William said, sitting back down again with a thud. "I just assumed…."

"But!" Annie raised a hand. "What we do have in this room are three of the country's best singers...which should adequately cover the appalling voices of the rest of us!"

"All together now," William said, slapping his thigh. "_We Wish You A Merry Christmas…_."

………………..

**The End. (Definitely this time)**

…………………**.**

There we have it! Sorry it comes to you after the big day, but I'm afraid I got caught up in the festivities. I love Christmas! Did you all have a nice day? I hope you all have a fantastic New Year! Thank you so much for the lovely reviews for the first part of the Christmas Special!


	34. Chapter 34 Oneshot 1

Hello! I have to apologise profusely for going AWOL for a VERY long time from fanfiction. It sounds really lame, but I lost my passion for writing for a while. Why? I'll be very honest, the last two years have been very bizarre, very brilliant and also very horrible for me.

Two years ago, just after I stopped writing, I moved to France for a year. It was an amazing experience. Unfortunately, my four-year relationship did not survive me being away for so long (although we had been back and forth to visit each other) and I came back to find that my first and only love had found love with someone else whilst I'd been away (cheating A-hole). So, this last year has been pretty horrible, as I've been suffering with my first broken heart. I think this is really what stopped me writing because I love to write romance and, during this last year, I've really felt that love SUCKS. I'm coming out of it now though, and I'm rediscovering the old me again.

Two weeks ago, I started reading Falling Star again by chance and it made me want to keep writing. Someone left me a review for this story saying that I should write some oneshots for Dick and Roseanna in the three year gap between the end of the war and the epilogue chapter. This is how I've been easing myelf back into writing. I had so much fun writing this first oneshot. It is set immediately after they get back and we see how they came to find their living situation of Roseanna going off to the city to sing but coming home to Dick in Edison, New Jersey. I'm planning to write 4 or 5 of them. I hope you enjoy and please review to let me know what you think.

Also, I will get back to my unfinished stories too.Oneshot #1: The Living Arrangement

_**November 30th, 1945- Train en route to Edison, New Jersey**_

Roseanna watched the snow-covered trees whip past her from the comfort of her train compartment. She stood by the window, a hot cup of tea in her hand as she watched the world go by. She'd been standing for almost the entire time. She couldn't sit. She was far too nervous to sit.

"Next stop Edison, New Jersey," A voice shouted from the corridor outside of the compartment.

She breathed in sharply, draining the remains of her teacup and setting it down. She walked over to her handbag, taking out the letter she'd kept close to her for the last two weeks.

_Dearest Roseanna,_

_I was so happy to receive your letter. It was actually the first piece of correspondence to arrive at my new house. Lew made all of the arrangements for the house before I arrived. It's perfect, close to town but still far enough outside to calm and peaceful. I think he knew exactly what I was looking for. I think he also purposely picked one that was too big for just me. He obviously had you in mind when he was house hunting. _

_I couldn't hope to find the words to explain to you just how happy I was to get your letter. Please be in no doubt that I miss you just as much as ever. I listened to your concert in New York on the radio last week and it made me feel closer to you. _

_I'm settled in Edison now, just like you said we should wait for, so please come and visit me soon. I think you'll really like it here and I can't for you to see the house. You should know that I already think of it as our house._

_All my love,_

_Dick. _

She smiled. This is what the had agreed on. She hadn't followed him to Pennsylvania like he'd asked. Since she hadn't been able to decide about her future, and she didn't want him to give up everything he'd planned for his post-war life to live somewhere that he didn't really want to, not deep down. So, after much discussion, they kissed each other goodbye, agreeing not to write to each other until the New Year to see whether they would be able to live without each other in their lives. However, Roseanna made it only to November before her heartache for him became too much to bear and she had to write to him. She missed him mentally, emotionally and physically. She'd been so happy to find that equally, for him, nothing had changed. Still, she thought, pulling on her heavy coat as the train pulled to a stop, it didn't solve the overall problem over how they would balance their different lives. She didn't care, though. She had confirmation that she needed him in her life, and she intended fully to enjoy the week she had to spend with him in Edison.

She made her way off of the train, pulling her coat tighter around her neck against the cold. She looked up. There he was, standing on the platform with his hands in his pockets, a cool smile creeping about his lips as he locked eyes with her. As she made her way towards him, she couldn't help but think about how different yet handsome he looked in a regular suit, rather than his military dress. She stopped in front of him, neither saying anything for a few brief seconds as they simply drank in the sight of each other. Eventually, she set her suitcase down beside her, and they fell into a tight embrace.

"So this is Edison?" She said eventually, eventually releasing him from her embrace.

"Welcome," He sighed, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "I've missed you so…"

"I know," She interrupted with a smile, squeezing his hand. "So have I."

"Come on, let's get to the car. It's freezing," He said, picking up her suitcase and offering her his arm. Together they made their way towards his car. He held open the door for her as she climbed in. He made his way into the driver seat. "First stop- Nixon Nitration Works."

"Wow," She joked, teasingly bringing her hands up to her chest. "I've been here for all of two minutes and the first thing you do is take me to a Nitration Works. You sure know how to treat a girl, Dick."

"Well, you're not just any girl," He teased, moving forward to start the car.

"Wait," She held a hand out to stop him. He looked at her expectantly. She leaned forward, placing a hand on his cheek, place a peck on his lips. He smiled, leaning forward and pulling her in for a longer, lingering kiss. He moved to place his other hand on her face, but, given the car was such an enclosed space, he accidentally made contact with the car horn. _BEEEEEP!_ She couldn't help but laugh at him as he rolled his eyes with a smile, starting up his car and pulling out of the car park.

…

Later that day

Arm-in-arm, Dick led her through the double doors of the Nixon Nitration works, leading her up a flight of stairs.

"Mr Winters," A middle-aged woman appeared, handing him a pile of letters. "Your mail, Sir, and a few messages that you missed whilst you were out."

"Thank you, Carol," He nodded respectfully at her, taking the letters. He led Roseanna towards a large, oak door at the end of the corridor.

"_Mr_ Winters," She observed, raising her eyebrows at him. "That sounds strange."

"You can still call me Major, if you want," He smiled, stopping outside of the door, searching in his pocket for the key.

She leaned forward, fingering the embossed sign on the door which read "Richard Winters. Personnel Manager". "Wow."

"It's not as glamorous as it looks," He said, leading her inside.

She gasped, looking at the plush interior of his office. Wooden panelling surrounding the room, which also boasted an array of different paintings, a futon and, in the centre, a heavy oak desk and leather chair. "Not that glamorous? If this is your office, I'd like to see what Lew's looks like."

"Come and see for yourself," A voice piped up from behind them. She spun round to see Lewis standing in the doorway. He whistled at her, shaking his head in mock disbelief. "Roseanna Caine in Edison, New Jersey. What, did you get on the wrong truck again?"

"Funny, Lew," She rolled her eyes, walking towards him and kissing his cheek hello. She pinched his cheek. "Look at you all clean-shaven."

"Well, I have to look respectable now," He said, shrugging his shoulders casually.

"Good to see you again," She smiled at him.

"Yeah, you too," He said, pointing at Dick. "I'm glad you're here. Maybe you can finally put a smile on this one's face."

"Thanks, Lew," Dick said sarcastically, taking off his suit jacket, folding it and placing it over the back of his leather chair.

"Couldn't convince Annie to come with you?" Lew asked, attempting to sound nonchalant.

"Sorry," She looked at him sympathetically. "Lola has been so happy to get her assistant back that she's been keeping her stupidly busy.

"Oh, well," Lew said, shrugging his shoulders as though he wasn't that bothered.

Roseanna could see through him, though, reaching into her pocket and producing a letter which she held out to him. "She did ask me to pass this along to you, though."

"I knew it. She clearly can't stop thinking about me," He said jokingly, but looking genuinely happy as he took the letter from her and placed it in his inside pocket. He motioned to Dick again. "Anyway, sorry to take him off you so soon but Dick, I need to see you for a second."

"Okay," Dick said, smiling at Roseanna. "I'll be right back. Make yourself comfortable."

"Can I sit in the boss's chair?" She joked, running her hands teasingly along the leather.

"I suppose, since it's you," He let out a chuckle as he followed Lew out of the room.

She didn't sit down, though. She looked around the office, smiling at the feelings of comfort she got from being in his surroundings again. She picked up the jacket he'd just placed over the chair and, pulling it to her face, breathed in that all too familiar and wonderful scent she'd missed so much. Her eye caught sight of a picture frame on his desk. She picked it up, staring at it. It was a picture of the two of them in Austria, both smiling like idiots at the camera as she held onto his arm. She smiled, feeling even warmer inside. She loved that he hadn't forgotten her since they'd been apart. She placed the picture frame back on the table just as Lew and Dick made their way back into the office. She looked up at them expectantly.

"Okay you two," Lew said, placing his hands on his hips. "It's Friday, it's nearly the weekend. Just take off and enjoy yourselves. Boss' orders."

Roseanna smiled, handing Dick his jacket. "Wow, I like post-war Lewis Nixon."

"What? You didn't like me before?" He asked, pretending to be offended.

"Oh of course," She said, playing along.

"Go on, Dick," Lew said again, gesturing with his hands that they should leave. "Go show her the house."

"Ah yes," She said. "I've heard all about this house. You really set everything up for him, huh? Shows how keen you were to have him working here."

…

Later

About twenty minutes later they pulled up to the modest two-storey house with a wraparound porch that Dick had been living in since he'd arrived in Edison to work. Roseanna fell instantly in love with it, even just from the outside. It was exactly like he'd said, calm and peaceful.

He carried her suitcase inside for her, letting her taking in sight of the interior. She smiled at the large sitting room with beautiful bay windows that lay just off of the front entrance. Setting her suitcase down, he joined her, taking her hand and squeezing it. "What do you think?"

"I love it," She said excitedly, reaching over to place a kiss on his lips.

"I'm glad," He beamed, motioning with his head to the door. "Come on, I'll show you around the rest of the place."

After showing her the downstairs bathroom, the kitchen and the laundry room, she made her way towards the staircase but he stopped her. "Let me show you the garden first."

She nodded, following him willingly. He led her outside onto the porch facing the garden. She whistled at the sheer size of it. "Amazing."

"Plenty of space to plant flowers and even a vegetable garden," He observed, smiling at how happy she looked. "When the weather is right, of course."

_Cluck, cluck. Cluck, cluck_. She looked over in the direction of the sudden noise and noticed a couple of chickens wandering near a coop at the foot of the garden. She looked at him, confused. "Chickens?"

"Not quite the farm in Iowa, but they give the place a farmy feel, don't they?" He said, smiling knowingly at her.

"Yes, they do," She said, putting a hand on her hip. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're pulling out all of the stops to try and get me to move here."

"I am just…offended at the accusation," He joked, shivering against the cold. "Come on, let's go look upstairs."

Upstairs, he showed her the upstairs bathroom, the spare bedrooms, which currently lay empty and a small room which he had set up as his office. They both stopped outside of the only room he hadn't yet shown her.

"This is the master bedroom," He explained, suddenly looking the slightest bit nervous.

"Oh," She said, feelings awakening inside her, an electricity crackling in the air between them.

She reached forward, turning the knob and letting them inside. It was beautiful, although it definitely needed a woman's touch, although that was the furthest thing from her mind at that particular moment in time. She could help making constant eye contact with him every time she surveyed a different piece of furniture. "So this is where you hang your clothes, store your shoes and…where you _sleep_."

Looking at the large bed in front of them, they both slowly brought their gaze to each other and locked eyes. She didn't waste any time, her body almost involuntarily pulling her towards him and into an embrace. Their lips hungrily found each other. Their hands began to desperately explore the other's body. They only pulled apart minutes later to take necessary gulps of air.

"I've missed he," He said breathlessly, his voice so low that it was almost a growl. His eyes softened for a moment as his hands ran through her hair. "I promise you, though, it was not my intention to move so fast."

"Dick," She allowed herself a small chuckle. "Remember Austria?"

"Well, yes, but…," He said between gaps, kissing her. "…but we haven't seen each other in a while."

"Stop talking," She said desperately, quietening him with kisses, her body yearning for his as her hands began to tear at the buttons of his crisp, white shirt. "I swear, Dick, if you don't make love to me _right _now…"

…

_**3 hours later**_

For the fourth time that day, Roseanna felt herself reaching a climax as a Dick moved steadily inside of her. Unable to hold it any longer, her eyes locked with his as she grabbed desperately at his back as it tore through her entire body, causing her to cry out in pleasure. He was not far behind her. Trembling from exertion and trying to catch her breath, she enjoyed the come down of their intimate act. She looked at him with nothing but love in her eyes. It never failed to amaze her that a man she saw as being the gentlest, kindest man in the whole world could be so consistently commanding and thrilling in the bedroom. He could still make her toes curl. That hadn't changed since Austria. Trying to catch his own breath, he stayed inside her, not wanting the moment to end just yet. With his thumb, he gently brushed a small bead of sweat from her upper brow before leaning down and placing a gentle kiss on her lips. He noticed an amused look on her face. "What?"

"You know," She said, still trying to catch her breath as she looked at him playfully. "You'd think four times would be enough to satisfy me for one night, but…"

"Again?" He asked, acting as though he couldn't believe it but secretly happy to see how much she desired him.

"Again," She breathed out in a low purr, nuzzling his neck.

"Believe me," He said, trailing kisses down her neck. "Nothing would make me happier, but…"

"But?" She asked, looking at him expectantly.

"If I'm going to do that I'll need some energy," He chuckled. "I'm starving. Do you want some dinner?"

"Mmm," Her eyes lit up. "Dinner sounds great."

…

_**5 days later**_

Roseanna hummed along to the radio as she chopped up some parsley in the kitchen. She scooped it up and added it into the pot of stew cooking on the stove. She couldn't believe how at home she felt after only a few days. The day before, she had dragged Dick to the department store in town where she had picked up a few little extra things to give the place a bit more of a homely feel. Throws and potpourri, that kind of thing. In truth, she liked playing the role of the housewife. She felt like the solution to their problem was becoming all too clear. She was pretty sure that she would be satisfied with this life here with Dick. Speaking of Dick, she smiled, wiping her hands on her apron as she heard his car pull into the drive. As she heard him enter the house, she picked up her wooden spoon and began to stir her stew.

"Something smells great," He said, appearing behind her and slipping his hands round her waist.

"Welcome home, honey," She said, smiling as he placed a kiss on her cheek.

His arms still wrapped around her, he began to hum gently in her ear along with the radio. He sighed contentedly. "I can't tell you how much I love coming home to find you here."

"Much better than coming back to an empty house, right?" She teased.

….

_**3 days later**_

That Friday evening, Dick and Roseanna lay in the bathtub together. Dick lay at the back of the tub, enjoying the soothing heat of the water after a hard day at work, whilst Roseanna sat in front of him, leaning her head on his chest as she read through the local newspaper.

"There's an open-air market on in town tomorrow," She read aloud, clucking her tongue. "I'd love to go to that. Such a shame I have to go back to the city."

Dick was glad that she couldn't see his face, or else she'd see the disappointment etched on it because she was leaving. Still, he put on a brave face for her sake, rubbing her shoulder comfortingly. "You can't disappoint your fans who are coming out to see you sing tomorrow."

"I know, I know," She said, her shoulders sagging heavily. She was looking forward to her concert, of course she was, but the thought of leaving this peaceful haven was almost unbearable.

"I've had such a nice time," She said, leaning back into his chest, wanting to take in every chance at physical contact with him that she could.

"I'm glad, he said, scooping up some warm water with his hand and letting it cascade down one of her arms. "That's what I wanted."

"I mean, if I'm really honest, it's been amazing," She continued. "I don't think I've ever felt so calm, relaxed and…happy, in my entire life. Dick, I…"

He noticed that she'd paused. "Yes?"

"I think that this is what I want," She said, feeling firm in her decision at that moment. "I know we've been avoiding this conversation, but I think it's time we talked about it."

"You want to stay here?" He asked, wrapping his wet, strong arms around her gently. "Permanently?"

"Yes," She nodded, turning ever so slightly so that she could look him in the eye. "Dick, I want you. I want a life with you. I love you."

For a moment, he simply took in how amazing it felt to hear her say those words, leaning forward to kiss her. When he pulled away though, he shook his head. "I love you too, but no."

"No?" She repeated, furrowing her brow.

"I can't let you do that," He said, simply shrugging his shoulders and looking down. "I can't let you give up your career."

"I would do it for you," She said confidently, and he would have believed her, had it not been for the tiny flicker of doubt in her eyes.

"But I wouldn't want to make you do that for me," He said. "Roseanna, I've seen your face when you're on stage. It's what you were born to do."

"I've made my decision," She said, frowning slightly. She knew he was right, though.

"Believe me, nothing would make me happier than if you were to come and live here all the time. Eventually you'd lose the spark in your eyes that I love so much though, and it would be because of me because I took you away from what you love to do."

She said, placing her head in the crook of his neck, splashing some water over the side as she turned round. "So this really puts us back in the same position we were always in, huh?"

"Well," He said, rubbing his chin diplomatically. "I've been thinking."

"Mmm hmmm?" She asked, raising her eyes a little to look at him.

"I would love to have you here every day, every single day," He affirmed, looking into her eyes to show her how much he genuinely meant it. "But I'm okay with not having you here _all the time_ if it's to do something that makes you so happy."

"What are you saying?" She pressed.

"I'm saying, I don't mind you not being here a few days of the week if I know that you're coming back to me soon."

"You mean…?"

"I mean, tomorrow, why don't you go off and do your concert, and then come home…here…to me."

….


	35. Chapter 35 Oneshot 2

Thank you so much to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter. I really, really appreciated it. I know there was quite a long delay again to this new chapter but I'm easing myself back in, haha.

**This chapter is pretty damn cheesy but I'm rediscovering cheesy romance in my life so I can't/won't apologise for it :p. Hope you all enjoy and please read/review.**

++++++++++++

_**April 3rd, 1946- Edison, New Jersey**_

Friday night in Edison, New Jersey. In the sitting room of their home, Roseanna stretched out across on of the sofas, reading through her set list for tomorrow evening's concert in New York at one of the casinos that she performed in twice a month, as arranged by her father. Her head lay stretched across Dick's lap, who sat reading his book. It wasn't so different from most other Friday nights spent in Edison, and she liked it just fine. She turned to look at her suitcase that lay packed at the front door in preparation for her early departure the following morning. The only difference this Friday night though, was the smaller case that lay beside it. She frowned slightly as she looked at it, letting out a small noise through her lips, _hmmm_.

"What?" Dick asked, distracted by the noise and catching a glimpse at the look on her face.

A playful smile spread to her lips as she realised that she'd been rumbled. She looked up at him, her eyes wide. "Still wonderin' why you're coming to the city with me this weekend?"

He smirked a little, only briefly looking away from his book. "Was my explanation about wanting to spend more time with you and your family so unbelievable?"

"No, entirely believable," She reassured him, reaching up a hand to ruffle through his hair. "I just can't understand why you were so insistent on this weekend. I'm only going for one night. I'll be back on Sunday. Why not next month when I'm going for the whole weekend?"

He shrugged slightly, trying to make light of the situation and throw her off the scent. "You know I can't take too much of the city."

"Well, that's true," She smirked, pulling herself up into a sitting position. "Well, I'm glad to have some company this weekend, and that you get to see the show."

"Me too, " He said, looking up from his book to flash her a smile.

She fought a yawn. "Anyway, I'm going to bed. You coming?"

"I'll be up in a minute," He said, looking up again. "I'm almost finished this chapter."

"Okay," She said, leaning in to kiss his cheek and, feeling playful, lingering to gently nibble his ear and whisper into it. "Don't take too long."

Dick watched her flounce out of the room. When he was on his own, he closed his book and took a deep breath. He knew that you were supposed to feel nervous in this situation, almost like it was a rite of passage. He didn't feel that way, though. He felt oddly confident and self-assured. He wondered for a moment if that confidence might simply be attributed to his experience in the war, but a nagging feeling told him that the reason was because it was the right thing, that this was supposed to be happening. He didn't wonder about it for too long, though, as he didn't want to leave the woman he loved all alone in bed for too long.

_**April 4th, 1946- New York City**_

Sitting side-by-side with Roseanna in the back of one of William Caine's limousines en route to her concert, Dick was sure of two things. One, the tuxedo he was wearing was over-starched and a stark reminder of why he hated wearing such garments. Two, Roseanna, dressed in a satin, emerald-coloured gown with ruby red lips and a lavish up-do, looked beautiful. At the same time, though, it felt a little strange to see her quite _so_ dressed up. He'd gotten used to the more demure look that she sported in Edison. He sat straight in his chair, keen to not move too much in case he got in the way of one of the many co-passengers in the limousine with them, including Annie, who fussed around her with make-up brushes, sprays, clipboards and perfumes. He definitely wasn't used to this. It was as though he was being given a snapshot into a world that so few chose to enter. Roseanna, amidst the chaos, sensed his discomfort through the simplicity of his silence and reached out to place a gentle hand over his. "You okay?"

He forced an enthusiastic smile at her. "Sure."

The limousine pulled to an abrupt stop, a noisy rabble already audible from outside.

"Showtime!" Annie said, gathering everything together as she clapped her hands loudly. "Okay, everyone listen up. Word got out that Roseanna came to the city with Dick this weekend so we can expect extra journalists and photographers. To that end, let's keep the walk into the building very brisk. Roseanna, a few smiles and a wave to the camera, maybe a hello, but _nothing_ more. You know what they're like once they get you engaged in conversation. Dick, I know you're not used to this so just let Roseanna take your arm and she'll walk you through it, okay?"

"Okay," He said, blinking as he cleared his throat.

"Okay, people, you all know your jobs. Let's do this!" Annie called out authoritatively, her hand resting against the window of the door. Dick blinked at her. He'd seen her command the troops effortlessly in the mess of hall in Austria, but he'd never seen her…like this.

Before Dick even had time to process anything that was going on around him, the door to the limousine had opened and he found himself on the concrete outside of a ridiculously large New York building. However, he couldn't even see the building for the mass of blinking lights which invaded his corneas all of a sudden. Flashes from the cameras. Disconnected and unable to place what was going on around him, his brain tried to associate the barrage of lights to something that he was more accustomed to. For him, the blinking flashes from the bulbs and the crackling from the powder took him back momentarily to those winter nights in his foxhole in Bastogne, looking up at the bombs as they lit up the sky above him. So lost was he in the memory, he didn't even realise that Roseanna, ever the professional, had taken his arm as planned and led him through the melee of journalists and photographers. He only came to when a reporter with a heavy accent barked out at them as he cast a finger towards Dick. "Miss Caine! Miss Caine! Over here! Is this your sweetheart?"

Roseanna reached out her other hand and tapped Dick's arm with it gently, motioning for him to stop in his tracks as she coolly regarded the man with his finger thrust in her beloved's face. "What paper are you from?"

"The Chronicle, ma'am," He replied, not skipping a beat.

"What was your question again?" She smiled sweetly as she could.

"Is this your Sweetheart?" He said, thrusting his finger again.

"Who, the man that you're poking in the face in a very unpolite fashion?" She said, low enough so that only the three of them could hear, smiling sweetly again for the other reporters and photographers.

The arched brow on the reporter softened and his pursed, inquisitive lips went back to a natural position. A look of light embarrassment settled over his face. He shrugged apologetically at her, pulling his finger back into retreat.

"…course he's my Sweetheart," She said, winking at the reporter and pulling Dick back into motion. "Why else would I be taking his arm?"

"You're good at this," Dick said subtly into her ear as the continued to push on past the throng of people.

"Not good at it," She remarked, squeezing his hand affectionately. "Just used to it."

That evening, after all of their performances throughout New York City, the Caines and their closest companions congressed in the parlour of the Caine Family Mansion, draped out on plush loveseats and chaises longues in front of a roaring fire, chatting and sipping drinks as they listened to the tinkling of the piano in the corner. It was their typical relaxation ritual. They were all there except William and the evil stepmother, who hadn't yet returned from his show. Dick couldn't help but notice that it was similar to way that he and Roseanna relaxed in their home but on a much grander scale. At any rate, that evening he was a satisfied man, having watched the woman he loved perform on stage and then sit next to her on what was possibly the comfiest couch he had ever sat on. _Still_, he thought to himself, stretching out his arms slightly and loosing up his bow tie enough to let him breath more easily, he had work to do tonight. He couldn't get too comfy. That was hard though, he observed, as Roseanna nuzzled her head into his arm.

"So," Annie said, interrupting as she sat down on the couch adjacent to them, holding out two steaming cups of herbal tea. "Here we go. Dick, did you enjoy yourself tonight?"

"Thank you," He said, taking the cup from her. "Of course I enjoyed myself."

"Were the seats to your liking?" She asked, mischievously.

He shrugged, smiling. "Can't argue with front row."

"That's right," She said, lowering her voice as she noticed as he looked distractedly at the entrance. "Don't worry. It's all in hand."

"What is?" Roseanna asked, sleepy but not sleepy enough to have missed the mumbled comment.

"Nothing," Annie smiled. "I can just see that Dick's out of ease in the city. Not to worry though, I have your entire trip in hand."

"Dick?" Roseanna looked questioningly at him.

"Uh…right," Dick said, playing along as he nonchalantly sipped from his teacup.

Roseanna frowned, wrapping her hands around the warmth of the cup. Something was amiss. "Hmmm."

Behind them, a commotion arose as William breezed into the sitting room, fresh from his performance, trussed up in his felt hat and heavy coat. He beamed at the sight of his family sprawled out in front of him. "Hello! Hello!"

"Oh!" Annie said, craning round to see him and then jumping to her feet. "Showtime."

Roseanna looked up as her friend as she flounced towards William. "Hey, where are you goin'?"

"Be right back," Annie winked back at her, her mouth twitching in mischief.

Roseanna looked at Dick questioningly, furrowing her brow. He simply shrugged, avoiding her eye contact as he sipped his tea.

"Richard," William's voice sounded out a few minutes later. He extended a hand out towards Dick and motioned for him to follow him. "Could I see you in my office for a moment, please?"

Dick immediately rose to his feet, as though he'd been expecting it. He made his way towards William.

Roseanna looked over at the door. "What's wrong, Daddy?"

William smiled at her confidently. "Nothing's wrong at all, Sweetheart. It's just high time I had a little man-to-man chat with this young man of yours."

As William and Dick left the room, Annie made her way back over to Roseanna and flopped back down on the couch.

"What's all that about?" Roseanna asked, digging his friend gently in the ribs to get her attention.

"Search me," Annie said nonchalantly. "A man-to-man talk, just like your dad said."

"Hmmm," came Roseanna's response.

"Hmmm? What hmmm?" Annie asked, looking over at her.

"You can lie with the best of them Annie," Roseanna said, smiling slightly at her friend. "I've always admired that about you. Hell, it's gotten us out of a good few scrapes over the years."

"Yeah…?"

"…but you can't lie to me," Roseanna said, beaming at her friend as she leaned back, leaving it at that.

"Still, you won't get a peep out of me," Annie winked, leaning closer to her friend. She tried to change the subject. "Did I tell you about Lola?"

"No, what?"

"Did I tell you who her latest fella is?" Annie asked, her eyes sparkling.

"No, who?"

"Do you remember that director she was talking to at the holiday party?"

Roseanna thought for a minute before it hit her. Her eyes lit up. "No!"

"Mmm hmmm," Annie said.

"Poor bastard," Roseanna joked, eliciting laughter from her friend.

"My thoughts exactly," Annie laughed.

A few minutes later, William reappeared, poking his head lightly around the door. "Annie?"

Annie craned her neck. "William?"

"Could we see you for a moment?" He asked, beckoning for her to follow.

"Certainly," Annie said, standing up and preparing to follow him.

Roseanna had had enough, and reached out her hand to stop her friend in her tracks. "Okay, that's it. Someone tell me what's goin' on around here."

Annie just winked at her.

…

Annie followed William into his office, sitting in the seat next to Dick as William seated himself in his plush leather chair behind his desk.

"Now," William said, settling himself. "Dick here has just asked for my daughter's hand in marriage."

"I know," Annie said, unable to contain her excitement.

"…and I've said yes," William continued.

"I knew you would," She said confidently, sitting back in her hair. She put a hand on Dick's shoulder, smiling warmly at him. "Congratulations."

Dick nodded at her in thanks.

Annie, immediately switching into business mode, didn't even wait for William to continue, reaching into the handbag which she had had over her shoulder and producing a medium-sized felt box. "Now, first things first. We need to talk about the ring. I trust you don't have a ring, already?"

Dick shook his head. "Not yet, no."

"I figured as much," Annie smiled teasingly at him. "No disrespect, but men are hopeless when it comes to this sort of thing. Trust me when I tell you that you need some female help here, and _that_ is where _I_ come in."

"What's in the box?" William asked.

Annie turned the box the other way around, revealing the embossed letters _Tiffany and Co._ on the front of it. "Well, when Dick told me he was coming here to ask permission to propose to Roseanna, I took the liberty of getting in touch with our friends at Tiffany's. I had to drop your name, William. You see, Dick, the Caine family are big customers. Most of the jewellery you see on the Caine girls are from there."

"Alright…," Dick said, still staring at the box.

"Well, it took some convincing and, as I said, name-dropping, but they let me take away some samples in Roseanna's ring sizes," Annie opened the box to reveal about ten different, sparkling diamond rings. "They're all one-of-a-kind, because no bride-to-be wants something unique to her."

"Annie, wait…," William said, but Annie was so in the moment that she didn't hear him.

"You can pick whichever one you think she'd like best, take it away with you and we'll settle the bill with Tiffany's," Annie said, pointing to a large marquise-cut diamond surrounded by a layer of tiny sapphires. "Now, as I said, it's your choice entirely, but if you want my opinion, and it is just my opinion, I think that she'd really like this one."

Dick wrinkled his nose slightly at the rings. In truth, he hadn't though that far ahead but, now that they were staring him in the face, nothing about any of them said "Roseanna" to him.

"Annie!" William cried, banging his hand authoritatively on the table to get the excited chatterbox's attention.

"What?" Annie said, recoiling the box slightly.

William cleared his throat. "Thank you for going to that trouble, and thank you to our good friends and Tiffany's. I'll have a hamper sent to them in the morning."

"I already took care of that," Annie informed him.

"In my name?"

"On behalf of the whole Caine family and with some free tickets to a Saturday night show, to be redeemed anytime apart from seasonal shows," She explained.

William was sidetracked momentarily, looking at Annie and then Dick incredulously. "This girl, Dick. I tell ya, I don't know what we'd do without her."

Dick smiled politely.

"Anyway," William said, focussed once again. "That's all very well and good, Annie, but I, on the other hand, have another suggestion for the ring."

"I'm all ears," Annie said, humouring him, but convinced that he had nothing that could top a Tiffany diamond.

William reached down and into a small drawer on the bottom of his desk. He produced a small wooden box with ornate flowers on the front that looked like they had been hand-carved. He opened it in front of them, revealing a vintage-looking simple gold band with a floral pattern carved into it. On the top, three small diamonds were clustered together. It was simple, for sure, but very pretty nonetheless.

Dick looked at it with intrigue, reaching out to remove it but stopping himself before doing so, remembering his manners. He looked at William. "May I?"

William nodded, and Dick removed the band, studying it carefully. He noted the word "eternally yours" written around the inside of the band. It was beautiful in its simplicity. However, he only got to admire it for a few seconds before Annie removed it from his grasp, turning it over and scrutinising it.

"This is…," She said, racking her brain for something positive to say but coming up with nothing. "This is beautiful, sure, but William…come on. This is not the kind of engagement ring that a girl dreams about."

William sat back in his chair, allowing approximately thirty seconds to let the tension build. He was in showbiz, after all. "It was the ring that I gave to Roseanna's mother when I asked her to marry me."

"Oh," Annie said, looking at Dick's face and seeing it light up ever so slightly. This was a game-changer. "It's just that it's a little…simple."

"Well, I barely had two dimes to rub together when I first met Roseanna's mother," William said. "We were young and the streets of Philadelphia were tough for a young man who wanted to sing. Still, I knew that it was love and I knew by the end of our first year together that I wanted to make her my wife. I couldn't afford a ring, though. It took me two years to save up for it. Luckily, a friend of mine had started an apprenticeship with a jeweller and he said he'd do what he could with what little money I had saved up. Believe it or not this was his first, proper creation. Instead of one larger diamond on top, I asked him to put three smaller ones. One for every year that I had loved her."

William's story had done the impossible. It had shut Annie the hell up. As much as she was a focussed, working gal, at heart she was still a sucker for romance. "Oh, William."

"Unfortunately, although I insisted on him writing _always_ inside the ring, sometimes life doesn't always work out that way. After my wife died, it was always my intention to offer the ring to the man who wanted to make my Roseanna his bride," William said, sliding the box across the table.

"Damn you, you romantic, old dog," Annie said lovingly, quickly putting a finger to her face to stop a tear from tracking down her cheek and making her mascara run. "You Caines sure know how to tell a story."

William smiled at Annie, before turning his attention back to Dick. "Now, you don't have to use this ring. It's entirely your choice. This was the ring I had made for my sweetheart so perhaps you want to do that same thing. However, if you would like to use this ring, then I would be more than happy for you to have it."

"Me too," Annie conceded, closing the Tiffany box. "Ecstatically happy. She'd really love to get that ring, Dick. I still think it's plain but, I know her, and I know that she'd love that ring."

"Well, in that case," Dick said, placing the ring back inside the box, which was lined with red felt, and closing it over. "I would be very honoured and humbled to use this ring

Annie felt satisfied, but looked longingly at the Tiffany box. They were such pretty rings. "Bye Tiffany rings."

"You're starting to sound like my Lola," William observed, a sparkle in his eye.

"Don't say that," Annie said, aghast. She smiled at William sweetly and held up the box. "I think I should get one of these as a bonus for all of the hard work that I've been doing and, ahem, all of the hard work I'm sure I'm going to do in planning this wedding."

"You're so sure that she'll say yes?" Dick asked, her confidence making him confident.

"I know she will," Annie said firmly. "I just know she will."

"Thank you Annie," Dick said, adding jokingly. "I'll mention to Nix that you have a fondness for Tiffany when the time comes."

Annie laughed, as it was a rare occasion that Dick Winters made such blatant jokes. She dug him jokingly in the arm. "You are so bad!"

"Who is _Nix_, again?" William asked, intrigued.

That night, Roseanna snuggled into Dick as they lay in the four-poster bed in her old bedroom. She couldn't sleep though, fidgeting slightly. Dick could sense this. He didn't open his eyes, just murmed softly into her hair. "Are you alright?"

"Mmm hmmm," She said, nestling into the crook of his underarm. "It's just…."

"It's just…?" He prompted, rubbing her back affectionately.

"What's going on?" Roseanna asked. "You're all being so secretive? My dad taking you into his office tonight to talk and then Annie coming out in floods of tears…I don't understand."

"It's nothing, Sweetheart," He said, reassuring her. "I promise. Your father just wanted to tell me that I have his "approval" and it made Annie a little…emotional."

"He gave you his approval?" Roseanna asked, intrigued.

"Oh yes," He said, nodding slightly and breathing in the perfumed smell of her hair. It always comforted him. "He said he likes me very much."

"Uh oh," She joked. "I hope your ego won't inflate because William Caine gave you his _approval_."

-

The following afternoon, Annie dropped Dick and Roseanna off at the train station, where they would be making their way back to Edison.

Annie leaned in to kiss Dick on the cheek in goodbye. When he was close enough she whispered "good luck" and "it's all taken care of" into his ear. He smiled gratefully at her.

She then pulled Roseanna in for a hug, feeling tears springing to her eyes. She was so excited for her friend.

"Hey, are you alright?" Roseanna asked, noticing the faint moistness around her friend's eyes.

"Oh sure, must be the pollen count getting up," She said, waving her hand dismissively. She handed them their tickets. "You kids get going now or you'll miss that train. I'll see you next weekend for the show. Oh, and you be sure to tell Lewis Nixon that he's in big trouble if he hasn't done what I asked him to do."

Roseanna frowned, looking at her questioningly.

"He'll know what it means."

-

"She's acting strangely," Roseanna said to Dick as they boarded the train and made their way towards their first class, private compartment. The train chugged along in motion.

"Maybe she's just stressed from work," Dick mused, spotting their door up ahead. "This is us."

He could already see the faint light coming under the doorway which suggested that Annie had meant it when she said that it was "all taken care of". He turned the handle, leaving the door only slightly ajar. He motioned to Roseanna. "After you."

"Such a gentleman," Roseanna joked, laughing for the briefest of moments as she walked through the door, stopping immediately when she saw what was in front of her. The curtains of their compartment were drawn, flowers adorned every surface and candles scattered throughout left the most sumptuous glow in the room. She walked further inside. "What…who…who did all this?"

"Annie," Dick said, smiling as he followed her inside and closing the door behind them. Before Roseanna had time to turn round and face him, he quickly checked to make sure that the box was still in his inside pocket. It was. He felt an excited nervousness growing inside of him. He was doing it now because he couldn't decide whether she would prefer him to propose to him in Edison or New York, so he decided that a happy medium would be to do it on the train between both.

Roseanna turned back round to face him, gobsmacked but smiling. "What is this, Dick?"

He pulled her in close, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her forehead. "Roseanna…"

"Dick…," She said, looking at him expectantly.

He'd rehearsed this speech in his head but, now that the time was upon him, he couldn't remember any of it. He could remember what he felt, though. "Roseanna, I love you so much. I never thought that I would be so lucky as to find the woman that I was meant to be with in…in the middle of a war, no less. I don't even have the words to describe how happy I am that I have you in my life."

He slowly bent down onto one knee. Everything suddenly clicked for Roseanna and she understood what was going on. Emotions stirred inside her as she looked at him, wide-eyed, and suddenly reached forward to hold his shoulders so that she didn't fall over in surprise.

"Now that you're in my life, I don't ever want to lose you," He said, reaching inside his jacket pocket to produce the ring. He took a breath then opened it in front of her. "Roseanna Caine, would you do me the extreme honour of saying that you'll be my wife?"

She didn't even need a second to think about it. Her heart, her head and everything else already knew the answer. "Dick…of course I will!"

He sprang to his feet and they embraced for what seemed like an age, holding each other close and sharing desperate kisses. Eventually, he pulled back and took the ring out of the box. Without even thinking about it, she extended her hand for him to slip it on her finger. It was like her body just knew what to do without her having to actively think about it. Once it was on her finger, she took a moment to really look at it for the first time. Her heart caught in her chest a little when she saw it. "My mother's ring…."

…..

After arriving back at their home, Roseanna and Dick made their way up to the front door.

As Dick put the key in the door, he turned to Roseanna and joked. "Should I carry you over the threshold?"

She put an affectionate hand on the side of his face. "We're not married yet. You've got some time to build your strength for that."

He opened the door, letting them both inside. As they walked in, a bottle of champagne and the hugest bouquet of flowers that she had ever seen lay there waiting to greet them as they came in.

She whistled, impressed, as she saw the vintage label on the champagne. "Did you do this?"

For the first time over this weekend, this was something that Dick wasn't in the loop about. He came up behind Roseanna, encircling his arms around her waist and nodding at the card attached to the flowers. "What does the card say?"

Roseanna opened it, reading aloud. "Congratulations, you two. It's about time. I don't expect to see you at work tomorrow, Dick. Call it "National Engagement Day". Nix. PS- make sure you tell Annie about the flowers and champagne. I worry that she was being literal with her threats about what would happen if I didn't leave them for your return. "

….


End file.
